No Schwarzenegger, That's For Sure
by Methaya
Summary: Complete * xOver with SG1 * Buffy and Jack go through the horrors and fun of dating
1. Meet and greet the locals

Summary: BtVS/Stargate crossover

Warnings: None (except maybe for mediocre writing)

R rated

Timeline: coupla years after the series finale for Buffy and during season 8 for Stargate but it's not really that relevant

Distribution: Twisting The Hellmouth, FFnet and anywhere else you damn well please. What can I say? I'm easy.

Author: methaya

_This_ denotes thoughts

* * *

**No Schwarzenegger, That's For Sure**

Jack knew that he was probably annoying the person manning the desk to no end by lagging behind when everybody else had decided not to take advantage of the late opening hours of the gym on this particular Friday night.

_And how pathetic was that._

He spent his Friday nights in the gym instead of tearing up the dance floor with one or two chicks in tow. Or do the well tried dinner and a movie move with that nice new neighbor right across the street. The one that had smiled in no uncertain terms at him when he had met her picking up his mail last Wednesday.

He bent down to tie the shoe lace on his sneaker and standing up, grabbed his battered leather sports bag and swung it over his shoulder.

While passing by the leg and arm machines he looked at himself in the floor to ceiling mirrors unobtrusively.

_Not too bad for a washed up ex-Special-Ops-soldier of well over forty._

Although Daniel would probably say he was going on fifteen tops most of the time.

He nodded to the blonde woman behind the juice bar which also doubled as the reception desk and braced himself for the frigid air outside.

It was about oh'three hundred and a light snow was covering Colorado Springs. Travelling through the Stargate made for whacky hours sometimes so Jack was grateful he had found a gym that was open nearly 24/7 to accommodate his equally whacky schedule.

* * *

He strode across the deserted parking lot towards his truck, searching for his keys, promptly dropping them while juggling the sports bag and his water bottle.

Jack bent down to retrieve them and afterwards, much later afterwards felt lucky that he did because that way the baseball bat aiming for his head only smashed the window on the driver's side.

Jack dropped the bag and while crouching swung around trying to swipe the legs out from under his attacker.

The young punk complete with bleached hair, base cap and a bandana tied over his nose and mouth to disguise himself went down with a grunt.

O'Neill lounged after him, rolled him onto his belly, holding both his hands in a policeman's grip, with his knee at the small of his back keeping him immobile.

That left his other hand free to search in his pockets for the cell phone to call the police.

He never saw the second guy coming, just felt air rushing past and then pain and blackness swallowed him whole.

* * *

„Yo! Fashion victim number two! Eyes up here!"

Jack opened his eyes for about a nanosecond and saw a woman running toward him and his mugger.

I hope she called the cops.

Then he was gone again.

* * *

„Are you ok? Of course you're not. You are bleeding and unconscious."

„Am not." He managed to mumble through sheer blind stubborness.

A blonde was leaning over him and looked at him anxiously.

„He talks! You're not dead! Good! I'll call an ambulance right away. Will you be ok here for a moment alone?"

„Cell..." He tried to reach into his pocket for the cell phone. Majorly bad idea. Pain and blackness enveloped him again.

* * *

The light show going on overhead was boring to say the least. Just light and dark again and again.

Someone was fondling Jack's neck and he felt a mattress under him and a slight moving sensation.

_This is nice._

He became aware of a buzzing in the background. Only then did he notice that his eyes were still closed. Through supreme effort he managed to open them for a moment. Pain made him close them right away again.

_No, it's not._

„... get these off of you and we'll be able to check you in under something else than John Doe. Sounds so tacky if you ask me."

Jack was able to at least understand the last part of the statement and sure enough the fondling stopped and he could feel someone trying to pry the chains of his dog tags apart.

_Good luck with that. Those are meant to stay on._

„Here we go: O'Neill, with two l's, Jonathan, social security... Well, I'll just take this to the reception and see whether this gets us service around here."

Jack was painfully awake now and able to open his eyes fully at least. He was obviously in the emergency room of a hospital. If the noises hadn't told him, the antiseptic smell sure would have. Just now a young male doctor leaned over him and grabbed his penlight.

_This part I know._

* * *

After about an hour of prodding and probing by the doctor and harassing by Jack, everyone around was quite annoyed with everyone but particularly with O'Neill so the long suffering doctor finally let Jack have his jacket. He wanted to call Daniel or Carter so they might get him out of this hell hole that is public health services.

None of his pockets yielded the cell.

For a moment Jack was ready to really get an a roll about the security of this place if a patient had to be afraid to let his stuff lying around while being treated, when one of the nurses pulled aside the curtain, a young blonde at her side.

„I guess this must be him then."

„Guess it must at that." The blonde smiled at him a bit.

„Mr O'Neill, this is the woman who called the ambulance and had you brought here." The nurse beamed proudly at the blonde. Jack couldn't care less.

„Do you have my cell phone anywhere?" He just asked brusquely, having no patience left. „I need to make a phone call."

The nurse looked affronted, the blonde just looked resigned.

"Can I give him back and get another, less cranky one?" The woman nonetheless rummaged around in her pocket and handed Jack his cell phone.

Jack grabbed it and hit the speed dial for Daniel.

While he waited for the call to go through, he looked over to where the woman was standing. She seemed familiar somehow.

„Don't I know you?"

Which was just the moment when Daniel finally picked up the phone, so both the woman and Daniel got to say more or less in unison: „That's a truly cheap pick up line you have there." while Daniel added a „Jack" and a huge yawn at the end.

* * *

After Jack had set Daniel in motion, he turned back to the blonde, feeling slightly mellowed since the end of his stay in the clutches of public health services was in sight. He knew that he had been rude before and was even slightly sorry.

„Seriously, don't I know you from somewhere?" He inquired.

„I only work the evening shift at your gym for practically ever." She smiled showing a lot of white teeth. "You are always the last one to leave."

_Hmm, I think she's trying to tell me something._

„Sorry?" He tried the puppy dog expression Daniel always worked on Fraiser but only managed to make himself feel ridiculous so he made an effort:

„Look, I'm really sorry. Sorry for being kinda gruff just now. It's just that I HATE doctors and hospitals."

The blonde apparently could relate and seemed inclined to forgive.

„Well, actually I only started working at the gym about ten days ago." She held out her hand. „ I'm Buffy Summers."

„Jack O'Neill." He shook her hand. She had a nice firm grip and pretty eyes too.

Jack couldn't for the life of him think of anything else to say.

„So... I guess I'll be seeing you around at the gym then."

Apparently she wasn't much of a conversationalist herself.

She smiled at him and he couldn't help but smile back. She looked as if she was waiting for something for a moment longer but then she turned and walked away.

* * *

„And you didn't even offer to give her a ride home when she apparently rode to the hospital in the ambulance with you?"

Hearing it like that from Daniel made Jack feel even worse.

„Daniel, just shut up. Will ya? I get it. I'm a moron, I know."

Jack rubbed at his temples trying to ease the pounding and make the meds work faster.

"Gawd! Even my hair hurts. We had better drugs back in the seventies." Jack groaned for emphasis and put his head on the head rest.

„I know, I was there, remember?" Daniel smirked, Jack hadn't even known that he could.

"Daniel. Shut. Up."

Daniel dutifully shut up.

_

* * *

tbc_


	2. Thin Ice

Disclaimer: I do.

Familiarity with Buffy's and Angel's last seasons would be good, otherwise this might spoil you or leave you baffled.

Dedication: For Mac because she introduced me to fanfiction, for DelSonica for listening and liking, for Gremlin whom I'd figured would never read it but did any way and who sometimes is my inspiration for Jack.

**_

* * *

Thin Ice _**

O'Neill got two days of sick leave courtesy of the base doctors. The weekend saw him back at the gym. This time he looked for that Summers woman but apparently she had that weekend off. The next week had the SGC hosting a diplomatic meeting between two warring people and Jack pretty much moved on autopilot most of the time, but on Friday Jack strode up the stairs to De Salvo's. Through the glass doors he could already see that she was there.

_Here goes nothing._

Jack stepped up to the bar and put down the envelope he had carried with him every time he went here after the mugging that nearly happened.

She looked up and gave him a smile in recognition.

She was a pretty one if rather young. Her blonde hair was tied into a messy pony tail with tendrils escaping to frame her face. She looked like your typical twentysomething, what she lacked was that certain emptyheadedness that seemed to go with manning a desk at a 24/7 gym. Not that all gym attendants were airheads but she worked here full time as he'd noticed once he came to think of it and somehow she seemed to exude an air of vigilance as if she was constantly very aware of evrything going on around her. An attitude Jack figured would drive one batty pretty soon in an environment like this, being full of mirrors.

She seemed genuinely pleased to see him, her smile reaching her hazel eyes easily.

"Hi! How's the head?"

"This is for you." Jack blurted out wanting to get this over with while pushing the envelope across the bar.

"Oh! Gifts! I like those. Come here." She grabbed the envelope and opened it impatiently.

Some perverse sense of male survival instinct made Jack realize, albeit too late that his idea had been a mistake.

"Money? You give me money?" She held out the dollar bills and actually looked quite pissed.

Jack decided that it was too late now anyway and forged ahead, saying something, anything.

"Since you had to take a cab from the hospital and because you called the cops and all. I didn't want you to put out." Jack faltered as she looked about ready to vault over the bar and strangle him.

_Ok, this sounded so much better in my head._

* * *

Buffy couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. To offer money! She had had any number of responses to her efforts over the years, mostly people just disregarded the evidence of their own two eyes and flat out wouldn't believe that a small blonde had really just kicked the stuffing out of some guys who subsequently turned to dust. But this was different. 

It was very few times that she had to deal with mundane muggers instead of the supernatural. Muggers just didn't keep on the Hellmouth for long.

So the few times it had happened, she had gotten rid of the muggers and called the ambulance to let the pros handle the aftercare. And since she never left a name she never heard from the rescuees again.

Buffy didn't know why she actually got on the ambulance with this guy.

_Well, he is a regular at the gym. I practically know him._

But being honest with herself Buffy had to admit that it was different and more than that.

She liked him.

He came in at odd hours and intervals, always kept to himself and didn't seem to know any of the other customers. He was polite though, always nodding when coming or leaving and he hadn't leered condescendingly at her even once. Curiously she also liked his salt'n pepper hair, more salt than pepper actually and his economic way of moving, always somehow aware of his surroundings without looking paranoid.

The one time he had actually shown up with pilot's shades, a beat-up leather jacket and cargo pants hadn't hurt either.

Maybe it was loneliness talking. Ever since they had shut down the Sunnydale Hellmouth for good three years ago, things had gone well for the remaining Scoobies, whose influence now spread to 200 slayers with their respective watchers as well as an assortment of white witches, some with apprentices, former freelance demon hunters, neutral demons and the odd plain old, no special powers or supernatural abilities except speed typing human. But Buffy had become more and more diconnected.

Buffy and to a lesser extent Faith had felt like relics of a former area. Neither could really relate to the newly empowered potentials. After the awe of being close to The Longest Living and The Rogue Slayer respectively had faded, most of the new slayers felt a bit cramped in their style. Buffy could relate to that. She herself had felt crowded sometimes. Living the life of someone with a supposedly secret identity didn't make for good mingling skills.

Astonishingly Faith had helped in dealing with Angel's and Spike's ultimate demise. The news had come as a shock to all Scoobies. Although Xander's had been a pleasant one until Faith had shut him up after seeing Buffys reaction.

Nothing Buffy thought could compare to the feelings she had when she found out that Spike had returned after offering himself up as the ultimate sacrifice in the bowels of the Hellmouth only to work with Angel in LA, not even once trying to contact her.

She had been devastated, alternately whailing and ranting while Faith tried to convince her that he must have had a reason. When she had told him she loved him, she had meant it and it had nearly broken her heart to leave him in the Hellmouth without being able to make him believe.

It tore her apart knowing that he had come back and died again thinking her to be so shallow as to only say the words when the world was nearly ending.

Over the weeks after hearing of the LA gangs deaths Buffy had gradually come to terms with everything due in large part to Faith's help. So she had only broken Andrew's clavicle when he told her what he had known all along.

Ironically Illyria had helped with dealing too. The Old One had found the Scoobies of her own accord. All of them had been weary when she had matter of factly stated who and what she was but what convinced Buffy was that she had brought letters.

Angel had written to her. To this day she had never shown the letter to anyone but it had changed her, all of the Scoobies agreed. First she had become quiet and withdrawn but after a few days that stopped and for the first time in too long a while Buffy had actually started living again instead of just going from moment to moment.

Money hadn't been an issue so much since Giles had managed to lay his hands on the Councils loot. It made for a carefree living for all slayers and involved.

Buffy had opted to travel for quite some time. Now that there were so many slayers it was something she was finally able to do. When she felt like it, she worked at odd jobs to keep herself occupied, slaying only when necessary. It had brought her to Colorado Springs in winter time and since as a California girl she had never really experienced winter in all its snowy, frosty glory had decided to stay awhile.

Bringing her to this moron who offered her money because he felt she shouldn't put out! She fixed him with an icy stare that usually had demonic perps shaking in their boots and was quite amused actually when he made a pained face as if he had just realized what he had said.

_This is going to be fun._

She smiled, consciously showing a lot of teeth. She had known how to do this, oh about three apocalypses ago.

"I thought throwing money at a woman is supposed to **make** her put out."

* * *

For an eternal moment there Jack had been in serious concern for his continued state of existence but then something unexpected happened. 

_Did she actually make a joke instead of pulling out my spine with a nail file? Did she actually, you know, flirt with me?_

Her smile sure seemed to indicate it. Wait, he had known how to do this, oh about ten thousand years ago.

"Nah, that just scares them off. You gotta be subtle." He tapped his nose in an exaggerated manner.

"Really?" as if genuinely surprised she put her hand to her throat and looked at him with impossibly wide eyes. "And you would know all about that."

"Of course." His conviction couldn't have been shaken by an army, unless they tickled him. But that didn't count anyway. He put both his ellbows on her counter and leaned closer looking left and right furtively.

"See for example, if I asked you whether you'd be willing to have coffee with me, that would be subtle."

"Amazing! If you hadn't told me I never would have known." She grinned, the corners of her eyes crinkling.

Jack grinned back feeling fairly good about the whole thing, apparently flirting was like riding a bicycle.

After a few moments of both of them smiling at each other Jack realized something was missing.

_She hasn't said yes yet._

* * *

Buffy had to smile at the whole situation. 

_First I'm intrigued, then I'm angry and now I'm amused? Way to go on the scale of female weirdness._

"You haven't said yes, yet." Jack felt twenty years younger and not in a good way as he waited for her answer.

"No, in fact I haven't." She shuffled some papers on her counter.

"Are you gonna?" He figured in for a penny, in for a pound.

"I might consider it, as soon as you actually, you know, _ask_."

"Right. So, will ya'?"

"No."

"Hmm. I think that might actually qualify as cheating."

"No, that's 'negotiations'." Jack could fairly hear the inverted commas dropping into place as she said it. "Because at this stage in our relationship it's you who has to put out and coffee is waaayyy too cheap for that." The blonde looked rather smug, re-shuffling her papers again and shoving them away with a final air.

Alarmed Jack braced himself on the counter. "We have a relationship?"

Buffy went on as if he hadn't said anything. "I'm thinking Mexican. Or maybe Italian. Although, come to think of it I don't think we're there yet. Nah, let's stick with Mexican."

"Would Taco Bell's do?" Jack felt a bit like a fish on land.

Buffy just **looked** in that special way that someone once had christened The Evil Death Ray Of Whatever-You-Think-You're-Doing-Buster-You-Better-Think-Again.

"I'll pick you up then? How does tomorrow evening sound?"

"Wonderful! I get off at seven." Perkiness had a new spokesperson.

"Mam, yes, mam." Defeat too.

_

* * *

tbc _


	3. By Leaps And Bounds The World Turns 'Rou...

Disclaimer: Still don't own them.

Dedication: To everyone who ever reviews. Not just for this one but anywhere.

**_

* * *

By Leaps And Bounds, the World Turns 'Round_**

Instead of Jack's threat of fastfood Mexican Saturday evening found them at a popular Mexican restaurant called Rosario's.

Jack had picked Buffy up at the gym as agreed and they had taken his pickup, leaving her car at the gym since Jack had told her that it wasn't easy getting one parking spot near the restaurant, let alone two.

Rosario's turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. The dining room was warmly lit by dozens of candle lamps with brightly coloured shades. The walls were whitewashed with wooden beams placed at regular intervalls. On the beams was a collection of knick-knacks in keeping with the rustic theme: an old guitar, a pair of huge silver spurs, one of those combs that Mexican and Spanish women use to keep their hair veil in place. The waitresses wore traditional Mexican Indian garb of white blouse with cotton lace applications and either several multicoloured skirts for the unmarried ones or a black one on top with coloured ones underneath for the married ones. Behind the bar worked Antonio Banderas or at least his long lost brother. Buffy wondered whether that was a pre-requisite for getting the job in the first place.

Jack settled the two of them at a corner table. Absentmindedly Buffy took note of the exits, her relation to other entryways and her date. With wry amusement she saw him do a similar assessment of the surroundings. She covered her smile by busying herself settling her handbag over the back of her chair.

After ordering a salad and agreeing to share beef Fajita Buffy commenced the small talk:  
"So, what do you do?"  
"I work at the base."  
Buffy wasn't surprised. Everybody around here seemed in some way or another affiliated with the military up at the mountain, as the locals called it. And he was the type.  
"Go figure. What do you do there?"  
"I'm the General."  
"The general what?"  
"The General. You know the one that runs the place? At least that's in the job description. Nobody ever actually listens to me."  
"Get out! You… how… no way!"  
"Thank you for that vote of confidence." Jack pretended to be put out.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way." Buffy back-pedalled hastily. "The Generals I've met up to now where either stuffy or totally trigger happy."  
"So, met a lot of Generals lately?" Jack smiled to show he was teasing. "Daniel would probably disagree with you and call me trigger happy **and** gung-ho. No respect for authority, that man." Jack shook his head as if shocked about that lack.  
"At least you're nice for a General."  
Jack leaned back, straightening the table-cloth unnecessarily: "So you think I'm nice?"  
Buffy actually blushed but still managed a quiet: "Yes."  
"I'm doomed." Jack dramatically threw his napkin on the table. "Nice is so white bread. Describing a guy as nice should be illegal under the cruelty to animals act."  
Buffy was quick to reply: "No! I really like you."  
"Like! Gargh! Here take the knife, it'll be quicker." Jack dramatically thrust the knife at Buffy handle first.  
"Now I know you're just fishing for compliments." Buffy shook her finger mock-sternly at him.  
Jack grinned, the very picture of innocence.

* * *

As the evening progressed Jack found himself alternately amused, challenged and even dumbfounded a couple of occasions.  
Buffy prove to be a charming date and even when they weren't talking at all Jack felt at ease, just enjoying her company.

"So, while I was out for the count, what happened? How did you get rid of the muggers?"  
Buffy had been waiting for that question and had an answer ready.  
"While I came running a police car cruised by. It must have scared off the guys. When I reached you, they were already gone."  
Jack raised one eyebrow, choosing not to comment.  
"I know! I have no clue why I didn't just call the cops instead of this rushing headlong into danger thing." Buffy rolled her eyes at her supposed foolishness hoping Jack would buy it.

Buffy could have kissed the waitress who chose this moment to ask whether they wanted any dessert.  
After a lengthy deliberation weighing the pros and cons of cinnamon cake versus fresh fruits they placed their order.

"So, what made you leave sunny California behind for America's true heart here in Colorado?"  
"You could say that my town was such sink hole that me and my sister and some friends of mine left together. Safety in numbers and all that jazz, plus we had a lot in common. First we went on a trip to Europe, seeing the mother country, touring Italy and stuff, you know? Doing the touristy thing."  
"Yeah, I did that too."  
"Really? Where did you go?"  
"It was between first and second semester at college. We managed to see France, Spain and Italy before we got stuck in Greece, running out of money. So we were on this tiny island in the middle of nowhere with only the ferry connecting us with civilization and we had no money for that ferry."  
"What did you do?"  
"Shepherding."  
"No! No way. What did you really do?" Buffy couldn't believe this for a second. Jack seemed such an urbane man.  
"Seriously. My friend and I became shepherds for two weeks. The old shepherd had twisted his ankle pretty badly and took pity on us." One look into his earnest chocolate brown eyes convinced her.  
Buffy had to giggle at the image of young Jack standing on the hillside, yodeling his lungs out.  
_But those were the Switzerguys, weren't they?_

She felt compelled to share the embarassment: "I once had to flip burgers for half a year. Let me tell you, I'd have gladly traded you."

* * *

Once they had finished their meal they sat for some time chatting amiably and eventually agreed to take a little stroll before heading home. They ambled along the deserted streets of downtown Colorado Springs towards a small open park. Ostensibly to make Jack take smaller steps, Buffy had slipped her hand through his looped arm.

"So, you still on for skating tomorrow?"  
"I still think the only decent activity involving ice is either hockey or eating ice cream. But, yeah, I'm still on. Look forward to it actually." Jack smiled down at the petite blonde. He had found the evening to be great fun and the company witty, charming and an utter knock-out, too.  
"I'm with you on the ice cream but toothless guys beating the crap out of each other while chasing a small, round disk... not so much fun."  
"Hey, no dissing of the hockey on a first date."  
"First date?"  
"Well, I wouldn't count being knocked out by muggers and you coming to my rescue as a first real date."  
"My damsel in distress." Buffy giggled.  
"Again with the hey! No dissing of me either!"  
"I wasn't dissing, I was ..." She foundered and had to admit "Can't think of anything. Ok, so I was dissing." She looked utterly unrepentant. In fact she was grinning as she said it.

Jack disentangled himself from Buffy's arm and bent down to tie a shoelace.  
"So, you're from California, you said."  
"Yes, the state of eternal youth and beauty, trademark surgeons incorporated." Buffy slowly continued walking.  
"Not much experience then with some of the more, shall we say rustic winter traditions."  
"I would have to say no. What do you mean exactly?" Buffy turned around to see what took Jack so long tying his shoelace.  
Jack whooped as he snuck up to her just as Buffy turned and managed to shove a handful of snow into the hood of her coat.  
"Oh you… wait, I'll get you for that." Alarmed Jack saw Buffy grabbing a huge handful of snow and took that as his cue to run like hell.

He still didn't escape the snowball flying with deadly accuracy, hitting him in the back with enough force to make him nearly stumble.

* * *

"Here we are." Buffy looked out of the window of Jack's pickup. Her beetle was still parked in the employee's parking space of the gym.

She had enjoyed this evening like she hadn't anything in too long a time. Jack had proven to be quite funny with a dry, sarcastic wit, not afraid to laugh about himself. He had surprised her by sometimes being downright courteous like holding the chair and helping her into her coat without making her feel like a delicate, useless flower. At other times he wasn't above pushing her into a snow drift in their wonderfully silly snow ball fight.  
As she tried to remember when it was last that she had felt this content and optimistic, she came up with her first semester at college and meeting Riley and wasn' that a reason to act like at once on impulse.

Resolutely she turned to Jack.  
"You know what? Let's skip the awkward do I or don't I kiss her good bye first date nightmare, ok?"  
"Hmm, sure." Jack couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. So she hadn't liked him or rather she did and that was all and liking was living up to its most heinous qualities.

Thus he was quite surprised when he felt her hand on his neck drawing him to her.  
Her breath felt warm against his lips and she smelt like fresh air and cinnamon for some reason.  
Then Buffy's lips touched his and his hands slid around her waist of their own accord.  
_So soft and supple._

He angled his head to draw her further in and was rewarded with Buffy settling snugly into the circle of his arms. Tentatively he ran his tongue past his still closed lips, earning him a contented sigh and an answering pressure of her tongue, demanding entrance.

Buffy couldn't believe it. She felt alternately hot and cold racing up and down her spine. Jack's arms felt so good around her, that she felt herself settle in for the duration. Kissing him was turning into a revelation as well. Never had she felt content and secure at the same time.  
With Spike it had always been either tinged with desperation or mind numbing passion, Riley had been lacking quite soon and kissing Angel had always been so hesitant, let's not even talk about Parker.  
Jack's touch ran like a current through her and she felt tingling sensations rushing along her limbs, spreading through her body and making her feel like floating away.  
_Warm. Lips slightly chapped from the cold and tasting like ... more._

Jack felt like boiling over any second now. Elation, surprise, enjoyment and passion were vying for the driver's seat and Jack could only hold on tight for the ride. And then coherent thought went away for a while as he felt Buffy responding in earnest and lost himself in her a bit.  
_Wow. Damn. Wow. I'm about to...Holy…._

* * *

When the two of them came up for air some minutes later, the windows of the truck had steamed up.

Jack blinked a bit owlishly, his jacket hanging open to reveal his first shirt buttons having been opened and his neck sporting the beginnings of a slight hickey. Buffy blew a stray strand of hair from her face, looking flushed, her clothes in similar disarray.

"That was... definitely no nightmare." Jack uttered slightly disbelieving.

"Yeah. I... we... yeah." Buffy fondled her coat buttons, suddenly feeling weird.  
_He must think I'm so easy. Nearly going second base on a first date._

Jack looked at this utter, utter surpise of a woman and couldn't help himself. He reached out to brush some hair from her face turning the gesture into a caress. Feeling like an incredible fool he could only smile goofishly as she leaned into his hand like a cat, closing her eyes.  
This could easily turn out to be the first day of the rest of his life.

Buffy felt the warmth of Jack's hand not only on her face but in a place she had thought had fallen dark long ago.  
_Sometimes you have to leap before you look and right now I'm flying._

* * *

_tbc_


	4. Just Skating Along

Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be.

Author's notes: I'll try to make Colorado Springs as accurate as possible for someone who has never been there.

**_

* * *

Just Skating Along _**

Colorado Springs offered several ice rinks and Buffy and Jack had chosen the one located outdoors at Memorial Park to meet.Buffy had surprised herself by going out to buy her own skates instead of just renting them.  
_I am not going to second guess myself. Really. Am not.  
_But in all honesty it had felt good buying something quite useless if she intended to leave soon. It had felt good going beyond the bare essentials of living. Her furnished apartment had nearly no personal touch except for a collection of picture frames showing Xander, Willow and herself still in high school, Dawn goofing off in front of the Brandenburg Gate, Faith sticking her tongue into Robin's ear, her mother, Dawn and herself, Giles in front of Slayer Central in Cleveland with all the slayers hanging out the windows, grinning, waving and making faces. The rest of her living space looked very much not lived in at all. There was never time somehow.  
So buying the skates had felt like some sort of signal. What kind, she wasn't sure and was unwilling to delve into right now.

Bundled up into her coat with the fur at the collar and sleeve holes, wearing a woolen hat and mittens and black jeans with leggings underneath she felt ready to brave the frigid cold of Colorado in December.

* * *

Being early she settled on one of the bleachers to put on her skates. The rink was sparsely populated, most apparently preferred the one located at the mall, conveniently combining holiday shopping and skating for the kids. Some people were lingering at the booths that had been put up, simulating a small village where one could buy popcorn and candy canes. Everything had been done in wood and decorated with fir branches, red bows and lots of christmas lights.  
Thankfully the music they played on the rink was standard classical music instead of the overused carols of the season. Overnight it had snowed and now everything lay under a foot high decorative white blanket.  
Once finished lacing the skates and properly stuffing the loose ends into the top of the boots, pulling her leggings down over it, Buffy looked around to see whether Jack might already be there but didn't see him.  
_It's still too early. Might as well get warmed up.  
__  
_She stepped onto the ice.  
_The last time I did this was with Angel. _

She was unwilling to let the memories take over and focused instead on thoughts of Jack.  
_I can't believe how easily I've let myself become involved with a total stranger. One minute I'm all righteous indignation and the next I'm performing a tonsillectomy on him. He could be anyone. He could be evil, he could be a plain old psychopath, he could be part of the Initiative. _

But in all honesty Buffy had to admit that all of the above was far fetched. Riley would have told her if the Inititative planned anything. These days the Slayer's Council had pretty tame relations with them. The rest, she would just have to wait and see.

She prided herself on an aquired instinct concering people. Warren had shown her that true evil can wear the nicest face and Spike that everything depends on the actions not on the package.

Meanwhile Buffy had started out by taking long slides along the length of the rink, finding her feet, gathering speed. When she was fast enough she turned around, skating backwards for a while, enjoying the smooth movements and remembered grace.  
_I'm glad that I haven't forgotten. Let's try something. _

She gathered even more speed, stretching out her leg straight behind her, swinging it around, she used the added momentum, picking the ice with her toe to push herself up and around, landing facing backwards and again stretching out her leg behind her, using her arms for balance.

She smiled feeling a sense of simple pleasure at easily accomplishing the flip jump.  
Swinging her leg around while at the same time turning to face forward again she went back to simply speeding along.

* * *

Jack started breathing again, his hockey skates dangling forgotten by his side.  
_Pure Californian girl, huh? No idea about ‚rustic winter traditions'? I can be glad that she didn't cream me during our little snow ball fight yesterday. What's next? Ice skulpting? _

She looked so graceful and utterly adorable in her furry coat and matching woolen hat and mittens, peacefully drawing figure eight's on the ice.  
_Gawd! Would you listen to yourself? You barely know the woman and already you're jabbering about adorable and graceful? _

Resolutely he managed to pry his eyes off Buffy and found himself a bleacher to lace up on

_

* * *

_

_He's here.  
_Buffy felt like a thousand butterflies had suddenly decided to hold an impromptu rave in her stomach as she spotted Jack's tall figure stepping onto the ice.

She pushed herself in long slides into his direction, quickly checked whether he truly could hold his own on the ice and then launched herself at him, causing the two of them to slingshot around each other. Jack was wearing a truly goofy expression, smiling down at her and she found herself smiling back equally goofy.  
"You're here." It came out more breathless than Buffy liked.  
"That I am. Figured I could teach you Californian hothouse flower something. Turns out it might well be the other way around." Jack said by way of greeting.  
"Can you keep a secret?" Buffy played with the zipper of his bomber jacket.  
"Not for the life of me. But tell me anyway."  
"I wasn't always this hip and sane person you see now."  
"Get out." Jack sounded about as unbelieving as possible. "You probably iron your underwear, you're so wholesome." But he winked at her as he said it.  
"That's for me to know and you to guess." She replied primly. "But anyway, I'm about to reveal my deep dark secret here so you better pay attention, there might be a pop quiz later." She emphasized with a stern look and by poking her finger at his chest.  
"Pop away. I mean, do tell."  
"I had a Dorothy Hamill phase. I had everything there was to be had about her, the posters, the dolls, you name it."  
"You mean..." Jack faltered.  
"Yes, even the hair cut."  
Silence descended.

"Say something. Anything. Tell me I'm a geek." Buffy gripped Jack's arms harder, nearly shaking him when he remained silent. It was actually starting to scare her a bit, he looked so grave.  
When he finally did say something, it came out in a low voice: "I once streaked across campus during a Republican rally." Jack looked down at her hands still playing with the zipper.  
"What?"  
_Have I heard right? _

"I once ran across campus naked while they were holding a Republican rally there." This time Jack spoke a bit louder. "It was a dare and everybody was doing it then."  
"Shocking!" Buffy managed to sound scandalized while trying very hard to not picture it.  
"I wasn't alone!" Jack said defensively.  
"Ewww! Gross! I am deeply shocked." But Buffy failed to keep a straight face and a small giggle escaped.  
Jack looked up to find her pressing her hand to her mouth trying to control outright laughter and failing. He joined in, glad he wasn't the one to crack.  
"We're right delinquents, aren't we?" Jack clasped Buffy to him when she nearly fell over from laughing so hard.  
"Menaces to society, I tell you." Buffy managed to gasp out.  
"At least it was a Republican rally." Jack offered.  
That set Buffy off again and only after a few moments and several attempts she managed to keep from dissolving into fits of giggles again. Jack had to smile the whole time both at the hilarity of the situation as well as Buffy herself. She seemed so carefree and genuine. The smiles reaching her eyes and making them sparkle.

_**

* * *

Dinner And A Movie, Buffy And Jack Style**_

Tuesday Jack and Buffy met for a Canadian movie at Kimball's Twin Peak Theatre and came out of the theatre still laughing about the antics of the small village's people who desperately tried to entice a doctor to take up permanent residence in their backwater.  
When Jack did a wicked imitation of the main character's pseudo-smart, all knowing squint and drawl Buffy just had to grab both his ears to pull him down to her and kiss him resoundly on the lips.  
Jack slid his arms around her, holding her tightly to him and deepened the kiss.

_I can't get enough of her. Is this how it's supposed to work?  
_Letting go of her proved hard but he was sort of conscious that they were drawing some attention.

"You still chipper? Wanna grab a drink over there?" He pointed to a small bar right across the street unwilling to already let her go.  
"Yes, sure." Buffy slid her hand into his and the two of them sauntered into the cosy establishment, finding a pair of seats near a corner window. Jack helped Buffy out of her coat, putting it and his own away.

Seating himself across from her he was about to reach for her hands again when the waitress interrupted: "I'm sorry, sir but minors aren't allowed in this establishment. I'm afraid I must ask you and your daughter to leave."

Jack felt speechless for the first time in a long while and could only manage to stare dumbly at the apologetic looking waitress. Only Buffy's very unladylike snort roused him from his stupor: "Believe you me, the things I would like to get up to with this guy are of a decidedly un-father-daughter-like nature. Even in Alabama. And I'm 25 but thanks for the vote of confidence. I think." And after rummaging around in her hand bag she produced her driving licence, handing it over to the already appropiately cowed waitress.  
"Thank you, mam." She stuttered. "I'll bring you the menu right away." And off she went.  
Jack stared at Buffy who had taken the opportunity of taking out her lip gloss and was in the process of reapplying it, the very picture of feigned nonchalance.

"25, huh?"  
"Yep. Turning 26 on January, 20th actually." She put away her lip gloss and fixed Jack with a steady stare.  
"Is this where you get all weird and withdrawy about the age difference? Because I can tell you right now, that that's totally not an issue. You're actually lowering the age average of my boyfriends considerably."  
"Hard to believe, I am 45 after all." Jack had to brace himself after stating it so baldly. He stared down at the table, unable to believe that he sat here with a woman twenty years his junior.  
_Christ! I'm robbing the cradle!  
_

Buffy reached over the table to grab both Jack's hands in hers, trying to catch his full attention.  
"Think of it that way, what if I knew I only had very few years on the meter. Don't you think I would want to spend them with someone whom I don't to have to help grow up first?"  
Jack looked up sharply, searching her eyes for any hint of insincerity.  
"Why would you think that you had so little time?"  
Now it was she who looked down at the table-cloth.  
"I found my mother dead on the living room couch after the doctors had told us that she was on the mend. Among other things it made me appreciate the value of time and that it's best to use it instead of waiting for the right moment."  
"Damn. I'm sorry, Buffy. Nobody should have to go through something like that. I know how..." he faltered for a moment and cleared his throat "It's hard to loose someone so close, I know."  
Buffy felt his grip tighten reassuringly and looked up into his chocolate brown eyes, who seemed to convey a genuine sense of understanding.

Just then the waitress returned with the menu and for some minutes both Buffy and Jack busied themself picking out drinks and snacks, gratefully changing from their sombre mood to bickering a bit about the respective value of spicy wings versus mozzarella sticks.  
In the end they decided to have both, together with a glass of white wine for Buffy and a beer for Jack.

Gradually both of them became aware of an annoying chirping sound. Both of them realized in more or less the same moment what it was.  
"Don't you just hate it when people don't put their cells on silence in a restaurant?" Jack stated in a carrying voice, aimed at the people at the next table.  
"You're right." Buffy answered in the same intensity, with him in his annoyance. "But some people just drew the short stick when they handed out manners."  
The chirping became louder but no one seemed willing to claim ownership now when suddenly Buffy blushed and dove for her hand bag.  
"Oops, my bad." She rummaged around in her bag, desparately trying to find the damn cell to make it shut up, now drawing the attention of all the surrounding tables.  
"Oh, that's alright then." Jack back-pedalled lamely and then glared at the other bar partons, daring them to comment.  
Finally Buffy managed to find the phone and took the call.  
"Yes!"

_Whoever it is, he'd better have brass ones. I wouldn't want her sounding like that to me.  
_  
"Dawn! What are you doing on the phone?"

"Of course I said to call me anytime but..."

"No way!"

"She didn't!"

"He did?"

Jack had to smile at this typically female conversation which suddenly took a turn to the bizarre.

"Did you at least dropkick her smurfy little ass back into that well?"

_Now that must be some secret slang I don't know.  
_  
"Good. And how is Giles taking it?"

"He what?"

Buffy smiled in a way that Jack could only describe as evil and was again glad that it wasn't him on the end of that line. He listened in unashamedly.

"Even better. That'll teach her to think so little of us human types. Humane types, I mean." Buffy hastily amended when she caught Jack's puzzled frown at her choice of words.

"No, I'm not alone."

"Jack." Jack perked up at the mention of his name. Buffy smiled at him and pointed at the cell mouthing 'my sister' at him.

"Dawn!" She sounded scandalized. "We are having a drink after a movie."

"Dawn!" Now that sounded even more scandalized. "I'm going to hang up now."

"Bye Dawn."

"Bye."

Buffy snapped the cell shut with an exasperated "Sisters!" and turned off the ring tone for good measure.  
"Sorry about that. I really thought I had turned it off already." Buffy smiled apologetically at Jack.  
"Dawn's your younger sister, right?"  
"Yes," Buffy smiled at Jack's correct assessment of their talk "she's studying Ancient History and Languages in Heidelberg right now. That's in Germany, you see?"  
"I know. I was stationed there for about a nanosecond before going to... other places."  
"Oh, ok." She seemed a bit flustered at telling Jack something obvious to him.  
"You never told me how you ended up here after your trip to Europe." Jack was genuinely curious. It wasn't as if Colorado Springs was high on the list of places to see.  
"Right. After travelling Europe for about a year we got news that some very good friends of ours had died." Buffy faltered for a small moment but continued. "Angel had left his estate to me so I came back to here to take care of everything. That took some time and after that I visited my friends all over to get back on my feet, so to speak."  
"Travelling for a year and then some, not bad. You independently wealthy or something?" Jack tried to lighten the mood.  
"Or something." Buffy figured she managed a decent enigmatic smile.  
"Had I only known. My whole approach would have been different."  
"Gold-digging another of your hidden talents?"  
"Sure. We'd be off to Vegas by now, had I known."  
"Would we now?" Buffy felt herself grinning at the absurd idea.  
"Of course. Now I have to take the scenic route and be all subtle-like." He leant back in his chair hooking his thumbs into imaginary suspenders.  
"And we saw how well you do subtle." Buffy took pure pleasure in pricking his bubble.  
"Hey, I thought we established that there will be no dissing of me during any of our dates!"

Buffy was saved by the bell in form of the waitress bringing their drinks.  
After taking a first sip Buffy decided to turn the tables: "So, you're one of the good guys saving us from evil foreigners on a daily basis?"  
Jack choked on his beer and Buffy had to clap him on his back to prevent ickyness. When he had calmed down again, she repeated her question. This time Jack was prepared: "Actually what I do is much less exciting. I told you, I'm a General. Means I'm sort of a glorified principal of a high school full of hyper active adults with more brain power than is good for them or my blood pressure. Most times though, it's just same old, same old."  
"What exactly are you guys doing up there? Isn't there some sort of academy?"  
"Yeah, but that's separate from us. I'm head of the Cheyenne Mountain facility. NORAD is there as well. But my kids do deep space radar telemetry."  
"Sounds... not like you." Buffy gave him a dubious onceover.  
"Well, sounds boring, I know. It beats getting shot at though, but don't tell my superiors, they might put me up for treason." The last part he whispered, leaning closer over the table and when she leaned closer also to hear him, he planted a good solid kiss on the tip of her nose. Buffy nearly gave herself crossed eyes permanently, it happened so fast.

_

* * *

_

_tbc_

I hope I managed to clear up the repeating paragraphs. If not, tell me and/or check out the story at Twisting The Hellmouth, a truly great BtVS-crossover archive.


	5. Bad Day And Better Nights

Disclaimer: Not mine. Still.

Warnings: Kiddies, this is where the restricted, adult stuff happens. Sex is an integral part of life and wonderful and these are adults we're reading about, so deal. ;o)

I think I managed to keep this R, although the next chapter and a few later on will have more explicit stuff. I'll post those at tthfanfic dot com exclusively. Hopefully I'll somehow manage to make sense even if one hasn't read the explicit stuff.

_**

* * *

Bad Day At The Office, Dear? **_

A woman's voice with a pleasant timbre picked up the call.  
"I am sorry but nobody is in right now to take your call. Please leave a message after the tone or try again later." BEEEEP.

"Oh, you're not there. Or you're not picking up. It's about our date later. It might get late. Well, if you're not there, I'll try again. Or you could call me. But wait, no, you can't. I'll be at the mountain in some interminable meeting 'til. I'll just call again later. Crud, I hate these machines." CLICK.

Buffy had to smile at Jack's exasperated tone on her answerphone. His message was from noon and it was now around eight.  
_Must be some meeting if he still hasn't tried again._

_  
_Buffy felt the need for a shower and planned on doing a short sweep round the block much later.  
Kicking off her shoes and leaving a trail of discarded clothes, she vanished into the bathroom.  
Remembering Murphy's Law though, she hastily skipped back across the living room in the nude, taking the cordless with her into the bathroom.

As she let the warm water pound away the tensions of the day she mused about her budding relationship with Jack.  
_Even though I don't know that much about him yet, I like what I see. He makes me laugh and I almost feel if I told him about me being the slayer, he'd accept that. After he laughed his head off probably.  
_She inwardly smiled at the thought.

_He's so matter of fact and doesn't let me get away with stuff. Even when he's holding the door for me he'd still call me on it if he thought I was wrong about something.  
Honesty, a quality much underrated, last not least by yours truly.  
_She vigorously shampooed her hair unwilling to examine that thought too closely.

_If this developes the way it started, we'll see about that.  
_

* * *

When Jack trudged up the last steps to his house, he felt every single of his 45 years.  
_Budget meetings. However in hell did Hammond manage to last this long without going cuckoo or taking a zat to Accounting?_

He threw his jacket haphazardly in the direction of the couch and slouched onward to the golden promise of an ice cold Bud in the fridge.

Opening the refrigerator door a jawning, empty void looked back at him.  
_Damn! Right, I had planned on going shopping on my way from the mountain just now. Another thing to pin onto The Budget Meeting From Hell.  
Buffy is probably asking herself whether I already succumbed to Alzheimer's 'cause I haven't called again.  
_

He dragged himself over to the phone, picked up the cordless and dialed Buffy's number. She picked up after the fifth ring, sounding slightly out of breath.

"Buffy Summers speaking."  
"Can't keep the numbers of your conquests straight on the caller id?"  
"Oh, it's you. I was debating about getting on my white horse and rescueing you. Again. And for your information, I was in the shower just now."  
That woke Jack right up. Unbidden images of naked, wet Buffy parading in his head.  
"That so." Jack let that statement do its own advertising and was rewarded with flustered Buffy.  
"Umm, right. So are you up for me coming over like planned?"  
Jack had to restrain himself from taking the easy shot and replied instead: "I forgot to go shopping. There's nothing in the house except antique mustard and some eggs I'd rather not bother. I think they are about to discover Cold Fusion."  
"Totally understandable." Jack could hear Buffy smiling. "Hate to disrupt that. How about we tackle the ordeal of shopping together and then snuggle in front of that fireplace you promised me?" The last bit was delivered almost shyly.

Jack felt a bit more of the tension from today draining away.  
"Yeahsureyoubetcha. I'll pick you up in about an hour, ok?"  
"An hour?!"  
"Unless you want some sweaty General putting the moves on you ."  
"That would be an emphatic no. I'll see you in an hour then."  
"'Til then." Jack hang up and found some hitherto hidden energy reserves ro propel him in the direction of his bathroom.

_

* * *

Did I really agree to this without being held at zat-point? Memo to self: make up a really good excuse next time. _

Jack had thought they'd do a quick run through the next supermarket but he hadn't figured on the female obsession with shopping and thus had been gullible enough to agree to go to the local mall instead.  
_Hook, line and sinker. Daniel would have a field day with this.  
_  
The inevitable crush of holiday shoppers got on his nerves after only five minutes and half an hour later Buffy was still going strong, currently avidly reading the labels of two cans which looked exactly identical to him.

_I just wanna go home and have some quality time in front of the fireplace with my girl! Instead she's futzing around whether to take Sauce Bolognese or Sauce all'amatriciana as if world peace depended on it._

"It's not rocket science, kiddo. Just grab this one," he took the can in her right hand and put it into the cart "and leave the rest for the scavengers." Jack impatiently put the other can back into the shelf and pushed their cart in the direction of purgatory aka the registers.

"Hey, I was reading that." Buffy felt put out be being overruled so casually. "What if I'm allergic to some ingredients? You can't just lord it like that."  
She grabbed his sleeve in an effort to make him face her instead of just striding away.  
"Are you?" Jack asked brusquely at the end of his tether, The Budget Meeting From Hell, the noise of kids squealing and adults jabbering, together with the tinny, repetitive christmas carols in the background eroding the last of his nerves.  
"That's not the point. I can't stand it when guys behave like that."  
"Like what?"  
Buffy folded her arms over her chest. "Like chauvinistic pigs."  
"I'm a chauvinistic... Carter?" Jack's eyes grew huge as he spotted his second in command about a meter behind Buffy's enraged form, looking intrigued.

Buffy was irritated to say the least but turned around when she saw Jack's expression.  
"Evening, sir." A fit looking blonde woman was standing right behind her.  
"Hi." Jack waved weakly over Buffy's head.

Samantha Carter's eyes settled on Buffy with interest, shooting a questioning glance at her superior. When the silence became even more uncomfortable, Buffy turned to Jack curiously and a bit annoyed at being so summarily ignored. She felt like the proverbial pink elephant.

Jack finally blurted out: "Oh, Carter. This is Buffy Summers, she's ...a friend ... visiting with a friend. We met ... here and...Crap!"

Jack couldn't believe himself. What was he, twelve? He took a step closer to Buffy putting his hand at the small of her back, supporting her or himself, he wasn't sure.

"Buffy, meet Samantha Carter, my second in command. Carter, this is Buffy Summers, my ... girlfriend."

Being the well-bred, accomplished women they were, Sam and Buffy shook hands, smiling. Although when Buffy turned back to Jack her smile showed a lot of white teeth.

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Summers."  
"Oh please, call me Buffy. Call me Miss Summers and I'm likely to jump up yelling 'I didn't do it!'"  
Sam had to smile at statement.  
"Then call me Sam please."  
"Pleased to meet you, Sam." Buffy smiled at the apparently easy going blonde. "So you work with Jack at that mountain of his."

Sam threw a fast glance at the General.  
"Yes." Seemed a safe enough answer if a bit short.  
"Deep space radar thingummy. Tell me, is it really as boring as Jack says?"  
Immediately Buffy noticed her gaffe and blushed chagrined otherwise Sam might have been affronted.  
"Actually I'm an astrophysicist. Boring is what I do." She teased with a pointed look at the General.  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply ... I mean, Jack made it sound so ... shutting up now." Buffy stopped herself not quite in time.  
Sam grinned broadly at the other blonde's obvious discomfort.  
"No worries, he does that most times in briefings too."  
"Leave me out of it, Lt. Colonel." Jack said with special emphasis.  
"Sure, sir." Sam couldn't help herself andsmiled mischievouslyat her superior. "It was interesting meeting you, Buffy." She extended her hand once more and with a last smile, pushed her cart along.

Jack's weary gaze followed her around the aisle corner before he turned back to face Buffy again with slight trepidation expecting a continuation of their earlier argument. What he didn't expect were her hands at his lapels pulling him down to her, allowing her to kiss him resoundly for a long moment.

"You're a moron." She beamed.  
"Oh-kay." He replied cautiously, not quite sure what to make of this nonsequitur.  
"And I'm your girlfriend." Still the slightly insane beaming.  
"That you are." Jack allowed a tiny smile to crease the corners of his mouth.

"Do you know what just happened?" Buffy actually shook him a bit, still holding on to his lapels.  
"Is that a trick question?" Jack felt at sea a bit, never a good feeling for an Air Force man.  
"First we had our first argument and then you introduced me to your coworker with only minimal fibbing involved. I am so proud of us."

At that both Buffy and Jack paused for a moment.

_There is an us.  
_

**_

* * *

The Third-Date-Rule, One Date Late _**

When shopping was finally done, the drive to Jack's house accomplished and everything stowed away, Buffy had time for a more thorough look around.  
Coming in in the dark, she had just a vague recollection of his house being an L-shaped bungalow, slightly raised, surrounded by trees to ensure privacy.

Jack leaned against the kitchen top, nursing a Bud. She had declined his offer of anything to drink.  
A first look around the kitchen showed her that Jack actually seemed to defy the cliché of the typical bachelor by cooking sometimes. Everything looked well kept if not state of the art. And despite of what he had said earlier on the phone, Buffy hadn't seen any budding civilizations populating the fridge when she had helped him put the groceries away.

Suddenly Buffy felt the urge to be closer to him. She pushed herself off from her place across from him and two steps brought her toe to toe with him. He looked at her curiously.  
"Is this place taken?" She asked, putting her hand on his ribs.  
Instead of a verbal answer he just opened his arms and she turned around and leaned her back against his chest, prompting him to enfold her in his arms.

The only light came from the extractor hood over the stove.  
For a while they just stood like that, neither feeling the need for action or words, for once both of them content just listening to the other's breathing and the slight swish of the renewed snowfall outside.

Buffy felt Jack's steady heartbeat thrumming against her back. She absentmindedly caressed his hand holding her to him in a soothing pattern.  
Jack occasionally took a swig from his beer but otherwise just enjoyed the warmth of Buffy's body against his. She seemed to fit all his nooks and crannies just well.

Buffy finally broke the silence, turning her head in the direction of the large kitchen window.  
"It's so light outside."  
"That's from the snow."  
She turned in his embrace and looked up at him.  
"Show me that fabled fireplace of yours?"  
"Sure." Jack put his empty bottle on the counter behind him and took her hand in his. "Dining Room. Living room." He pointed at the appropiate intervals. "Careful, there's steps here. Here, sit down while I'm all manly and light the fire." Buffy had to smile and gladly settled herself on the couch, burrowing herself into the plethora of cushions. The low table was littered with the usual detritus of a comfy evening: three remotes, two books with pages carefully marked, a lighter and some magazines.

Buffy watched Jack step up to the goodsized fireplace and busy himself, shifting the logs. Much sooner than expected he straightened up again, reached for something on the side of the mantelpiece and a fire suddenly sprang to life.

When he turned around it was to Buffy's astonished expression.  
"Automatic gas fireplace." He pointed back at the now already merrily burning 'logs'.  
"And here I thought using a hair dryer was sophisticated."  
Jack shrugged unapologetically. "Why not use the time better than rooting around in there." He settled himself on the sofa and Buffy scooted over to his side placing her head on his shoulder, so both of them could gaze into the fire.

Jack's hand threaded his hand lazily through Buffy's blonde hair, the flames lending a golden sheen to them.  
"I don't think I can remember anything like this in a long time." Buffy sighed contently and buried her nose in Jack's sweater.  
_Can't remember anyone smelling this good either. After shave and a teensy bit of beer but mostly just Jack.  
_Buffy half turned to better find out whether Jack smelled this good all over.

Jack inwardly sighed happily when he felt Buffy pressing her nose to the side of his neck, inhaling deeply. When she delicately licked the spot she had just smelled so intently his arousal rose in sullen embers and he felt his trousers tighten. Unable and unwilling to contain his feelings he sighed heavily and slid his hand from her hair down her back. He grasped her tightly.

Buffy continued her assault on his neck by turning fully to lean over him, holding him in place with one hand, not that he intended to go anywhere soon, and running her other hand up his chest and down the length of his arm, which he had thrown along the back of the sofa.  
When she began kissing her way up the column of his throat to the lobe of his ear, he rolled his head to the side to give her better access and closed his eyes. She took his lobe between her teeth, nibbling carefully. Her breaths so close to his ear drove him to distraction.

_Ok, this spot smells even nicer than the one before. How about this one? Mmmm. And if I do this? Woa! Gotta remember that.  
_Buffy felt her arousal lapping deliciously at her, running up and down her body, tingling in places, spiking in others. Her hand travelling up and down his arm and chest, encountered nicely shaped biceps and chest muscles. Kneading them seemed the thing to do, earning her a deepfelt groan.

Jack tightened his hold on Buffy and turned his head to capture her lips. Dipping his hand even further down her back, he brushed the waistband of her jeans and encountered bare flesh in the process. He ran his fingers just under the waistband, teasing her smooth skin, caressing the really fine hairs there. He took his arm off the back rest of the couch and cradled her head. He ran his fingers through her hair enjoying the silken feel of it.

She responded hungrily to the feel of his lips on hers. And their tongues met in a delicious duel, each of them alternately vying for dominance; halting caresses and hot, passionate thrusts intermingled with languid exploration.  
Jack's hand had wandered from her hair down her side and both felt her jolt when his thumb caressed the side of her breast.  
"Not ok?" He murmured.  
"Totally ok, more than ok." Jack stopped her breathless reassurances with another deep kiss.

Buffy felt like she was riding a roller coaster, a bit scared and a lot excited. Jack was caressing her sides slowly with sure strokes, on the downturn spreading his thumbs, thus paying extra attention to the sensitive side of her breasts. It made breathing suddenly a conscious effort.

All of a sudden his hands were at her waist, her naked waist, her sweater having ridden up a bit sometime ago. Gripping her harder, he hoisted her up and over, positioning her astride in his lap, never once breaking their kiss. Buffy settled into her new position easily, eliciting a deep groan which she swallowed greedily when she unwittingly pressed down on his evident arousal. She smiled into the kiss, feeling elated at Jack's neediness which she had caused. She brought her hands up to the sides of his head, cradling it carefully but surely. His face was upturned and for once Buffy didn't mind being small, because in this position she was in control regardless.  
Deciding to exert some of it, she shifted her hips slowly forward and backward teasingly, fully knowing what it would do to him.

Jack felt slightly lightheaded when Buffy began to move her hips, creating a sweet friction on his aching erection. He let his hands wander over her naked back under her sweater, lightly kneading the muscles along her spine. Despite being painfully hard he cautiously let his hands travel to her tummy, smiling a bit when her belly fluttered, he knew that that had to tickle.  
Slowly he spread his hands and shifted them upward, ghosting over her smooth skin until he encountered the satiny fabric of her bra. With the backs of his fingers he stroked languidly over the underside of her breasts, finally cupping and gently lifting and kneading them. He was unwilling to rush things, he wanted to be sure she wanted everything as much as he did, so he deliberately took his time.

Buffy's breath had shortened to the point of nearly gasping. With a final firm pressure on Jack's lips she ended their delicious kiss to sit up, grasp her sweater and pull it off impatiently.

Jack was unwilling to let their kiss end just now but went along only to inwardly congratulate himself on his compliance when he was rewarded with the view of Buffy yanking off her sweater, her glorious curves now revealed in the warm glow of the fireplace, backlighting her, lending an unearthly golden sheen to her.  
Jack let his eyes feast on his girl.  
_My girl! And how cool is that?_

But when Jack laid his hands on her shoulders intend on exploring newly exposed areas, she stopped him with her hands on his and instead scooted backwards a bit and grasped the hem of his own sweater.  
"Tit for tat." Buffy grinned smugly.  
When he pointedly ogled her breasts though, she blushed a bit, only now realizing her unwitting double entendre. To shut him up, she yanked up his sweater.  
Jack struggled a bit in their haste to get rid of the obstinate piece of wool. Once it was finally off, it was carelessly dropped behind the sofa. Her hands beat him in touching each other again. And he nearly purred when she ran her fingers over his now exposed chest.

Buffy had always thought chest hair to be slightly unappealing. Little had she known. She ran her hands wonderingly through Jack's hairs, amazed that they seemed to accentuate the dips and hollows of his nicely defined chest. Funnily the salt'n pepper of the hair on his head was mirrored here as well. When she raked her fingers across the expanse of his chest she deliberately brushed across his nipples, eliciting a growl? Intrigued she did it again. Sure enough a growl and a slight bucking of his hips were her reward.  
Buffy bit her lower lip moaning, his bucking pressing his hard length against her own arousal. She felt the heat rising at the juncture of her legs, wetness soaking her panties. Unwilling to let go of a good thing, she took up sliding to and 'fro again while grinding down. The sensations spiked and she gripped Jack's shoulders hard for better leverage.  
She had to lean her forehead against his and close her eyes, when he nuzzled her face, their breaths coming in short gasps while both began moving in unison, grinding their hips together. The zipper of his slacks with the hard outline of his cock was in a perfect position to stimulate her while grinding down created just the right amount of friction to drive him further to the edge.  
But neither was quite enough.

Buffy felt so close yet just out of reach, that it was maddening yet she wouldn't stop because it felt so awesome. She turned her head and kissed Jack deeply with desperation and need.

Jack kissed her back with equal passion, his tongue forcing entrance into Buffy's eagerly waiting mouth. He strained upward, now bucking in earnest grinding his erection into Buffy's hot, moist center. His hands gripped her shoulders firmly from behind, pressing her down even harder. Slight mewling sounds could be heard and neither cared who was responsible.

When the need for release became nearly unbearable, Jack reached between their two bodies and brought his flat hand between her and his hips, heightening the friction. He pressed his fingers upward, creating more direct pressure.

The unexpected but so liberating press of Jack's fingers against Buffy's clit and entrance set off a cascade of spiking pleasure starting at her toes and the top of her head, racing up and down her spine, meeting in the middle, to feel nearly painful for an eternal moment. Buffy's world dissolved into brilliant fireworks and she threw back her head: "YES!"

Jack watched in openmouthed admiration at Buffy's unbridled passion, his own arousal matching hers. His hand still captured between them, he was actually able to feel the wetness pooling between her legs. When she threw back her head at her moment of release, grinding down once more, it set off his own delicious release. He threw his arms around her and clung tightly to her body, burying his face between her breasts, riding out the shuddering waves of his orgasm.

Buffy held Jack's head to her chest, gently stroking his salt'n pepper hair, nuzzling it on occasion and enjoying the post-coital languor spreading through her limbs. except sitting on her haunches was inconveniently beginning to give her a cramp in her left calf. She cradled Jack's unresisting head in her hands, dipping it back to better kiss him and then reluctantly slid away from the comfortable warmth of his lap and instead stretched out her legs again and snuggled up to his side, throwing one of her legs over his lap again.

Jack felt limp as a rag doll after the mindnumbing experience of being so 'inspired' to come in his pants. He was unable to muster any sort of resistance when Buffy slid off his lap even though he missed her warmth already. When she snuggled close to him though, he felt slightly reconciled. He slid his arm around her and tucked her even closer, lazily drawing aimless figures on her leg in his lap. Whatever the first words would be, they would naturally be inadequate and trite next to this experience. He chose the obvious: "Wow."  
"Yeah." She sighed happily. "Don't ask me to move anytime this century."  
He chuckled, just glad. "Wouldn't dream of it. Although the couch isn't really comfortable in the long run."  
"Hmm."  
"We could of course move this elsewhere." Jack let the end of the sentence trail questioningly.  
Buffy thought for a moment and Jack crossed his fingers.  
"Let's." Buffy sat up decisively.  
"Thank God. I was worrying how to survive peeling myself out of these pants tomorrow." Jack chuckled, shaking his head in wonder at his uniquely juvenile predicament.  
_I don't think this has ever happened to me after the age of fifteen. _

Buffy blushed a deep red and offered an embarassed: "Maybe I shouldn't have..."

Jack looked up baffled at this totally out of character statement and behaviour from a woman he had come to know as strong and selfassured. Seeing her genuine belief she had done something if not wrong than at least icky, he grasped her arms, making her look him in the eyes, asking: "Are you nuts? This was mindblowing. Seeing you so... just looking at you would have done this. Ok, it might have taken a bit longer, hey, no spring chicken anymore, but still. Whatever you do, don't ever hold back. Don't ever be embarassed. Whatever you want, whatever you wanna try, just ask. Or better yet," now Jack smiled impishly "surprise me."

Jack's attempt at lightening the mood succeeded where his honest reassurance had already made an impression. Buffy smiled back at him and leant forward to give him a peck on the lips. "Deal. On one condition."  
"Shoot."  
"Same applies to you."  
" 'Course." Jack matter of factly replied. "And now, scoot." He made a shooing gesture to which Buffy gladly complied.

* * *

_tbc_

Dear all at FFnet,  
again, to make it absolutely clear, at FFnet there will be chapters missing! Hopefully it'll still make sense more or less without them. If you're allowed, check the fic in its NC-17-entirety at tthfanfic dot com.  
With that off my chest, thank you all again for reading, enjoying and reviewing.

Peace,

methaya


	6. Mornings After, Bad Introductions and Wo...

Disclaimer: Not mine. I'll learn to deal... eventually.

Warnings: none

As I said there will be parts necessarily missing here at FFnet.

* * *

**_Mornings After and Other Freaky Stuff_**

„Pass me the jam, please."

Buffy reached over and did so.

Jack and Buffy were standing side by side in Jack's kitchen making breakfast. Both had discovered that neither liked the elaborate kind, much prefering to just linger in the kitchen, coffee in one hand, in the other a sandwich or similar. This way one could brace for the impact of the day so to speak, instead of just taking it sitting down.

Just now Buffy was leaning against the counter, cradling her second coffee, having already finished her peanut butter sandwich. Jack was still in the process of finishing the manufacturing of a spectacularly looking concoction whose ingredients she'd rather not examine more closely.

_He's worse than Dawn._

„Damn! The friggin' thing won't open." Jack glared at the obstinate glass of raspberry jam and put it on the kitchen top, turning away to get out the big guns.

Buffy felt her eyes inexplicably drawn to the offending condiment, put her mug on the counter and slowly but inevitably sidled nearer, finally taking it.

„Wait, I'll just pop the lid with a knife." Jack stepped up, knife already in hand.

Buffy looked him in the eye and easily twisted off the lid.

„Oh-kay. No knife then."

Buffy settled the glass and lid carefully back on the counter as if handling a live grenade.

_Oh my god. I really did it. Will he get it? Please let him get it. Or not._

Jack fixed her with a calculating stare. „Remind me to never arm wrestle with you. Next time I'll have to hang on just a bit longer. Can't have you encroaching on yet another exclusively male territory after you already cornered the market on daring rescues."

Buffy let out an explosive breath she hadn't known she held.

_Damn, he didn't get it._

Then she felt slightly silly at having expected him to in the first place.

_Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. Much less your girlfriend turning into Marvel Girl and I spend too much time with Xander obviously._

But Buffy couldn't help but be slightly disappointed and relieved at the same time.

„I bet they show you these moves only once you actually join the Secret Brotherhood Of Gym Attendants, do they?" Jack's eyes held a teasing sparkle and she grinned and then stuck out her tongue at him.

_Soon, but right now I can be avoidy girl a while longer and just bask._

_**

* * *

Introductions, How Not To **_

Buffy was on her way to the post office. Dawn had sent her an early christmas present, never mind that Dawn herself would be visiting just after Christmas.

_Knowing Dawn's frightening sense of humour it will probably be Lederhosen._

Buffy had already finished her shift at the gym and was looking forward to an evening of housework fun. Not.

Darkness fell early this time of year and Buffy had bundled herself up against the cold.

The street lights had little halos while snow was gently falling.

All this seasonal beauty was lost on her, the prospect of having to tackle the truly stupendous amount of laundry foremost in her mind.

When her slayer sense suddenly tingled it was almost a relief.

_Yipie! Slaytime means no laundry time._

She looked around sharply, searching for her quarry. The streets were nearly empty, a car passed noisily by, the wind shifted bringing with it the promise of more snow.

_Except for that one guy just now rounding the corner, zilch. And he's not it._

_Wait a minute! I know that guy. And lookee what's right behind him..._

„Daniel! Duck!"

* * *

Daniel Jackson was deep in thoughts as he came around the corner, when he heard someone yelling at him. Reflexively he did as ordered, years spent working with soldiers paying off. 

He saw a young, blonde woman whom he didn't know sprinting toward him throwing something.

He heard a puffing sound and something clattered to the ground behind him. He turned around, seeing a guy with some kind of facial deformation directly behind him. The guy looked fixedly at the still running woman, snarled, showing equally deformed teeth. „Slayer!" And ran in the opposite direction as if all hell was after him.

The blonde didn't even slow down but followed in hot pursuit. Daniel shook himself when both vanished in a dark alley and got up slowly still amazed how fast everything had happened. And how the heck did she know him when he had never seen her before?

* * *

Buffy caught up with the vampire when the alley he had run into turned out to be a dead end.

„You know I really would have preferred you less stupid. This way it'll be over in 30 seconds and I have to do my laundry sooner."

35 seconds later Buffy sauntered out of the alley brushing the last vestiges of Barney The Intellectually Challenged off her pants.

She nearly collided with Daniel.

"Are you alright?" Buffy checked him over with a fast glance.

"Yes, thanks. I'm quite ok." Daniel looked down at himself as if checking again and adjusted his glasses.

"Good." She was eager to obfuscate, heedlessly babbling. "Sorry about the rush just now. But my old friend Barney and I haven't seen each other in ages. And he still owes me money. That's probably why he took off just now. And that stupid nickname? So High School. And then he just went pouf in that alley. No trace of him. Can you believe the nerve of some people?" She rolled her eyes at 'Barney'.

"Actually, about that." Daniel was amazed that he managed to get a word in edgewise in between the veritable torrent of words the blonde breathlessly unleashed. "Who are you? And how do you know me?" He fixed her with a steady stare.

Buffy gaped as she realized that in her haste to divert him from what had happened she had completely forgotten that he couldn't know that she had seen pictures of Jack's coworkers and friends at Jack's house, including one of Sam Carter, him and a black guy Jack had called Murray.

In fact Buffy couldn't even be sure Daniel knew about her at all. It might be that Jack hadn't told him considering they were a fairly new item.

"Gosh, my bad." She smiled broadly and extended her hand, determined to make a better first impression than with Sam Carter. "I'm Buffy Summers." She waited for a beat to see whether Daniel showed any signs of knowing about her. He looked at her hand blankly and she continued: "Jack's girlfriend? I saw photos of you at Jack's house." At that Daniel's eyes snapped up to her face again but thankfully he took her hand and shook it.

"Yes, Sam mentioned meeting you two."

"Hopefully she left out the part where I became Little Miss Motormouth and called her work boring?" Buffy still cringed at the memory.

"Rest assured that she did. Actually I remember her smiling a lot when she told me about it."

At Buffy's now sightly alarmed look he hastily amended: "In light of fact, forget I said that."

Buffy managed a weak half smile and Daniel buried his hands deep in his coat pockets, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

_Great. I managed to freak not only one but two of Jack's colleagues. What is it with me and weirdo first impressions?_

"Listen, it was great meeting you and all but I still have to pick up something from the post office before it closes." Buffy looked up at Daniel with an apology written in her eyes.

"Yes, sure." Daniel struggled to free his hands from his pockets again. "I mean likewise. I mean meeting you was nice."

"I hope we'll see each other at Jack's some time."

"Yeahsureyoubetcha." Daniel managed a decent Jack imitation, making her smile brilliantly before she turned and hurried along the side walk.

* * *

"Buffy Summers." Daniel mumbled to himself. "She's certainly … different."

_She's so young! And blonde._

_But she seems likeable enough. Sam thinks so. Jack too obviously._

Daniel smiled deep in thoughts and continued on his way, absentmindedly picking up what had clattered to the ground just minutes before, turning the piece of wood in his fingers, shaking some leftover ash away.

_But she's so young._

_And the slayer._

_I always thought that was a myth. Maybe an apocryphal expression of female empowerment._

_I wonder if Jack knows?_

_**

* * *

**_

Jack stared down at the report SG-8 had handed in in disbelief.

"And then Cpt. Peters collided with a stationary Jaffa coming the other way."

_Remind me to add a drug test to the standard post-mission medical examination. O'Bannon must have been high when she wrote this._

_Oh wait, a drug test **is **standard._

Jack checked the date.

_Nope, not April 1st either._

Jack shoved the report to the stack of To-Be-Done-Later which was higher than the stack of Not-Checked-Yet but not as high as To-Be-Done-By-Someone-Else-Or-Preferrably-Not-At-All.

_Let's deal with this later._

Of course Jack would sooner or later get around to doing all of them but right now he was preoccupied, actually had been for the entire morning already.

_Let's be sensible about this and do the adult thing._

_Bug someone else._

Jack shoved his chair back and gladly left his office and work behind. A small detour through the cafeteria later he strolled into Carter's lab.

As anticipated she was hard at work on her computer but naturally that was no deterrent for Jack.

"Hiya, Carter. Whatcha doing?"

Sam Carter visibly flinched at being adressed so unexpectedly but knew how to handle pseudo-nosy superiors and General O'Neill in particular.

"Hello sir. I'm just now calibrating the energy ratio on the power cell that was found on P4X-987. It seems to run on a unique frequency that resonates with certain types of alloys used in creating the housing. I am attempting to recreate the effect. It's fascinating, sir."

"If you say so." In truth he hadn't listened to a word after calibrating. "Say Carter, you taking anyone to the Christmas formal at the Academy this Friday?"

Even Carter who was experienced with O'Neill's sometimes wild jumps of logic was taken aback. Blinking a bit she answered slowly: "I asked Pete."

"'Course."

When nothing else was forthcoming and the General looked pensive, a truly frightening prospect when one knew him, Carter ventured cautiously: "Are you asking for a particular reason, sir?"

"No. Yes. Well, I don't know if I should ask Buffy."

Knowing it would be better to not say anything but rather listen for more input, Carter waited.

"You've met her. I would really like to take her but …" O'Neill fixed her with an almost pleading stare, apparently hoping she wouldn't require more.

Carter pondered for a moment. She figured she knew what the General's concerns were. Up until fairly recently bringing someone along to any kind of formal Air Force function meant, she - in those days there were no female officers in the Force - was weighed and measured whether she was up to specs as an officer's and gentleman's wife.

In Jack's case bringing Buffy would surely raise a few eyebrows.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" At Jack's nod Carter continued. "I know she looks rather young, if that is what you are concerned about." She ventured cautiously, seeing O'Neill listening intently, she continued slowly but surely. "But she is your choice and if she is going to be a part of your life, others will in time look past that and just see what the two of you are for each other." For a brief moment Sam feared that she had presumed too much, it was a rather sensitive, personal topic and O'Neill looked at her with such intensity.

Jack didn't know whether he should be grateful for Carter's candour. It was more or less what he had thought himself, albeit less eloquently put.

He had been skirting around the issue in his mind all day. He wanted Buffy to become a part of his life.

_Heck, she is already. But we're so new. Quite apart from the age issue._

Taking her to that formal was a big step, never mind the fact that he opened himself to ridicule showing up with someone who could rightfully be his daughter. A lot of the brass was going to be there **and** their wives, sometimes the worst of the lot.

"Thank you, Carter." Jack pushed his hands deeper into his pockets, to the casual observer simply preoccupied. To Carter seeing him so subdued and thoughtful was painfully unusual.

"Anytime sir." She felt the need to add some reassurances. "I'm sure it will be fine."

Jack just looked up again, nodded once half-smiling and left.

And Carter made a decision rather out of character for her.

* * *

RIIIING. 

When Buffy heard the phone as she was about to enter her apartment she hurried up, wondering who might call her this early. All of her friends and Dawn were in timezones or occupations non compatible with being up at this hour. Even Willow had left for the UK to visit with Kennedy's parents.

_I hope there's nothing wrong._

And hurried even more, snatching the phone off the hook, sending the station crashing to the floor.

"Crap! Hello? Sorry, I just dropped something. You still there?"

"Hello Buffy. This is Sam Carter speaking. General O'Neill's colleague. We met the other day."

"Sam! Of course." Relieved that it was nothing Hellmouthy Buffy settled herself more calmly on the couch. "What can I do for you?"

"Actually I am calling because of the General."

"Jack? Is something wrong? Has something happened to him?" Buffy sat up in alarm, an empty feeling spreading in her stomach.

"No! No. I'm sorry, there's is nothing wrong with him."

Buffy felt relief flooding her body at Sam's words. For a moment there she had feared the worst.

"Sorry, I didn't want to frighten you. But this is rather awkward and I don't really know how to do this." Sam actually sounded a bit desperate.

Buffy was more than curious. "What is it? If it's that horrible, just get it out. Never mind awkward."

"Okay. The General approached me today about the Christmas formal which will be held at the Air Force Academy this Friday." Buffy could hear her blowing out some air as if readying herself for something.

_Is she going to tell me he asked her to go with him?_

Buffy felt a different kind of feeling settling in her stomach.

"He was unsure whether he could ask you because... well, to put it bluntly because you're younger than him. Noticeably younger."

"Oh-kay."

"I am only butting in because, well apart from being the General he's also a friend."

Buffy felt her hackles rise.

_She's trying to tell me to back off because I looking younger! No way, no how. Brace for impact nosy Sam Carter._

She replied sickly sweet: "Your concern is heart warming, Sam."

And then continued with steel in her tone. "But as long as Jack and I haven't decided to call this off, I am not about to call it quits because a well meaning 'friend' like you decides to play judge, jury and executioner."

"Oh. My. God. I am sorry but that is not what I intended at all. Buffy, believe me, I saw the two of you together and I see Jack everyday. Since you're around, he has changed. He's happy now. I wouldn't want to change that ever."

Sam's honest vehemence seemed genuine to Buffy.

"I just wanted to talk to you because, since you are not Air Force you might not know some things. When Jack brings you to this formal, all the brass, the other officer's I mean, will judge the General by you. I'd never have presumed to butt in like this but I thought..."

Buffy felt slightly foolish at having flown off the handle like this and cut in hastily.

"Sam. Sam! I am sorry. I really thought you wanted to get me to let Jack go. What exactly is the deal with this formal? What do you mean they are going to judge Jack by me?" Buffy was determined to put their misunderstanding behind them and instead get to the bottom of Sam's real reason for calling.

"It used to be that an officer could only bring his wife and when he brought her she had to be, well more or less perfect. Only if she passed inspection could he hope to get a promotion or be recognized among his peers. That's what I thought you should know."

Buffy felt a hollow feeling at this daunting prospect. "And you think that people will look weirdly at Jack for bringing me 'cause I am younger? Because I am not the typical Stepford wife?"

"Yes." Sam sounded apologetic.

"That's so 18th century. And unfair. But of course when has that ever made a difference for 'them'." Buffy inwardly fumed at this kind of pre-historic attitude.

"Well, he hasn't asked me yet anyhow." She tried to lighten the mood. "But thanks for giving me the heads up."

"Don't mention it. And again I 'm sorry for ... well, you know."

"No, it's okay. I am sorry for jumping down your throat when you were just trying to help."

"It was understandable considering the circumstances."

"Still. Have a nice day, Sam."

"You to, Buffy."

Buffy thoughtfully replaced the cordless on its station.

_Now how will I pull this off? And how do I manage to get Jack to invite me in the first place? And do I really want to?_

* * *

Messenger: You now appear Available to everyone. 

BUZZ!

Daphne: Dawn, you there?

Sluzzelin: Hiya, sister mine! Long time, no messenger. How u doing?

Daphne: Ok. You know, I don't really get that laptop you guys gave me.

Sluzzelin: Way to go for the technologically challenged then. :-P

Daphne: :-P yourself. It took me ages to figure out to look at these thingies sideways.

Sluzzelin: :-) I fondly remember. And wasn't that a day the world stopped. The Chosen One joined the global village. :-o

Daphne: ha-ha. Very funny.

Daphne: Not.

Sluzzelin: I pride myself in my accomplished and witty repartee.

Daphne: Must be talking to the wrong person here.

Sluzzelin: While I always enjoy yanking your chain, you can't leave me in the dark 4eva. Spill!

Daphne: ???

Sluzzelin: J. A. C. K.

Sluzzelin: Who's he?

Sluzzelin: Where did you meet?

Sluzzelin: How is he kissing?

Sluzzelin: And is he evil yet?

Daphne: Dawn! Stop it!

Daphne: Let me at least answer in between.

Daphne: He's working at the military base here.

Daphne: work

Sluzzelin: He's military??????!!!!

Daphne: None of your business.

Daphne: I meant, none of your business whether or how he's kissing. And yes, he's military.

Sluzzelin: thud After the mess with the Initiative, you think that's… you know… wise?

Daphne: Don't know about wise but he's a good guy.

Daphne: Which neatly answers your last question. :-)

Sluzzelin: I don't know… I still think you should … actually I don't know what you should and anyhow, would you listen? Absolutely not. Go figure.

Sluzzelin: Just be careful.

Daphne: You're heartwarming.

Sluzzelin: Just make sure to tell him, I'll come riding in, one brassed off Uber-Wicca and a bevy of Supergirls in tow ready to kick his ass all over the place if he's evil after all.

Daphne: I'll be sure to mention it, whenever I want him to think I'm, you know, INSANE.

Daphne: Dawn…

Sluzzelin: Uh, oh.

Sluzzelin: what now?

Daphne: I have a problem.

Sluzzelin: I KNEW IT! HE'S EVIL! STAY CALM. I'LL CATCH THE NEXT PLANE AND ALERT WILLOW, XANDER AND THE NEWBIES TOO.

Daphne: Dawn!

Daphne: It's not that.

Daphne: Actually it's something nice.

Sluzzelin: oh-kay. Now I'm confused.

Daphne: join the club. Here's the sitch:

Daphne: He will probably ask me to go to this ultra conservative military jamboree where no one is going to have fun out of principle.

Sluzzelin: I'm with you so far.

Daphne: Where everyone will look down their noses at me because I'm new and young.

Sluzzelin: hate to break it to you, but you're not that young. In fact you're positvely ancient according to some… ;-P

Daphne: Well, next to Jack I might.

Sluzzelin: Buffy…

Daphne: Yes?

Sluzzelin: How much older is Jack exactly?

Daphne: He's 45.

Daphne: Dawn?

Daphne: Dawn?!

BUZZ!

Daphne: Dawn, I know you're there!

Sluzzelin: Sorry, had to go yell quietly into the closet for a moment.

Sluzzelin: He's … really old.

Daphne: hey!!!

Sluzzelin: I mean, granted, he's younger than Angel or Spike but still... he's human.

Sluzzelin: He is human, isn't he??

Daphne: Yes, yes. Human and old, I get it. But Dawn, I really need help here.

Daphne: I don't know how to pull this off without embarrassing him.

Sluzzelin: And doesn't that sound absolutely retro now.

Daphne: Totally! But it's still a big thing in the military. At least I hear they have to let us fly fighter planes nowadays.

Sluzzelin: Thanks for nothing! Narrow-minded, stupid, backward idiots.

Daphne: I know.

Daphne: But I really like Jack and I want to make this work. Even if right now I have this weird wish to pierce my tongue and dye my hair blue just to show 'them'.

Sluzzelin: ) snort Better not, blue's not your colour. You'll look like a dead fish. The piercing though... Jack might appreciate it. hint, hint

Daphne: DAWN!!

Sluzzelin: Hach, it's so nice to see some things never change. ;-)

Sluzzelin: Seriously, let's plan.

Daphne: ok

Sluzzelin: By the way…

Daphne: Yes?

Sluzzelin: I just wanted to savour the moment.

Daphne: ???

Sluzzelin: YOU are asking ME for fashion advice. Gives the old ego a real boost, let me tell you.

Daphne: !!!

* * *

_tbc_

Sluzzelin is Middle High German for Key and Daphne of course is a not so subtle nod to Scooby Doo.

The thing about officers and their significant others is canon, so to speak. Disgusting but there you go.


	7. Prom Night And Variations Thereof

Disclaimer: I still do.  
For all my reviewers. You guys rock. Hope you know that.

Warnings: Again I have to say, parts are necessarily missing here at this R-rated site. Check it out in its entirety at tthfanfic dot com.

* * *

**Prom Night And Variations Thereof**

Jack brushed off some imaginary specks from his dress uniform. He had just rung the door bell to Buffy's apartment. It was Friday evening, the evening of the Christmas formal and Jack was nervous as hell. An unusual feeling for him.

After a long inner debate he had asked Buffy to accompany him. He remembered that he didn't give a damn about most people's opinion anyway. The right people would figure it out and the other could just kiss his...

"Good evening, General O'Neill." Buffy's low, seductive sounding voice interrupted his musings.

"Good... gracious." Jack simply gaped.

Before him stood Buffy in a simple, but elegant black gown. The hem was nearly brushing the floor and her feet were encased in high heels with some kind of sparkly application. She had done her hair in an up do Farah Dibah style with some tendrils artfully escaping on the sides. Her make up was demure, just highlighting her natural beauty, a dark red lip stick accentuating the delicate bow of her lips, making Jack's mouth water. Pearl earrings and a matching long necklace were her only jewellery. The gown was high necked but sleeveless and when she cheekily posed in her door frame he could see a slit coming up to about knee height.

He swallowed, she looked absolutely gorgeous.

"I take it, I pass then." Buffy said through a knowing smile.

"Oh yeah!" That came from the heart. "Why exactly should we leave the house today?"

Buffy chuckled. "Because it took me hours to get this done, my nerves are shot and you look no slouch yourself. Check out the major hottie I got meself."

"General hottie actually."

Jack found his feet again and ever the consumate officer and gentleman offered her his arm. "Shall we face the firing squad?"

"We shall." Buffy grabbed her purse and coat and off they went.

* * *

"How am I doing so far?" Buffy managed to squeeze out between her frozen smile. 

"Better than I do. I already called that old dotty over there pasty faced in so many words and managed to insult General Hobanks on the loo."

"How so?"

"You don't want to know." Jack answered expressionless.

Buffy snorted but managed to turn it into a throat clearing when another couple approached Jack, ostensibly wanting to exchange the usual pleasantries but very obviously checking Buffy out thoroughly.

_At least an hour more of this, Jack said. I can do this. Nothing horrible has happened because of me. Yet.  
__Remind me to never again agree to something like this. These people are so stuck in the 60s. If I have to listen to another Stepford clone prattle on about the virtues of half curtains, I'll slay her outright._

Thankfully Sam had reassured Buffy that she had managed to completely pull the wool over the eyes of everyone. Sam had discreetly played spy and told Buffy afterwards that most guests thought her delightful and charming.

_Gargh!_

No mention was made about her being too young.

So at least on that front the evening was a success.

Buffy knew she should be grateful but couldn't help feeling a completely female peevishness at being able to pass for ten years older so easily.

She was also secretly glad that she didn't have to meet Jack's other friends from work, Daniel and Murray. She had told Jack in short words about meeting Daniel but didn't go into the exact details of how she probably managed to weird out another of his friends.

Apparently this gettogether was only for the military types and since neither Daniel nor Murray seemed to belong to that category they just weren't invited.

_Lucky shirkers, they are._

Buffy couldn't help but envy them heartily.

Meanwhile she smiled and laughed at the appropiate intervals over jokes she didn't find funny and as the one redeeming virtue of this evening, shared a non verbal camaraderie with Jack at the worst excesses.

Just now he was rolling his eyes at her over the head of some incredibly pompous sounding guy whose name Buffy had promptly forgotten not two seconds after being introduced. Buffy nearly giggled when Jack mimicked falling asleep with his face ending up in the hors d'oevre when suddenly Jack became serious and reached into his pocket, fishing out his cell phone.  
A frown appeared on his face while reading the display.

"Please excuse me for a second." Jack smiled apologetically at Buffy and pompous guy.

Buffy nearly swallowed her tongue when he left her holding the fort alone. Luckily pompous guy could hold the conversation on his own, leaving Buffy free to follow Jack with her eyes as he stepped out on the porch. Jack vanished from sight and Buffy spent the next ten minutes wishing she was allowed to show the gumption of just leaving pompous guy holding his monologue in privacy.

She nearly hugged Sam and Pete when those two glibly managed to pry her away from Colonel Topitzky from Provisions and Supplies.

Luckily Sam had remembered his name.

"Thank you guys. If I would have had to stand one more minute of him I think I would have told him I was really a man and after his wife." Buffy blew a nonexistent strand of hair from her face in her annoyance.

Pete laughed outright and even Sam grinned broadly.

"I can relate. Last year I spent half an hour hearing all about the difficulties of getting us grunts adhering to the proper procedures when ordering new pencils or some such." Sam offered in sympathy but started suddenly and reached for her purse, taking out her beeper.

Buffy watched as Sam also frowned and then started looking around searchingly. When her eyes found Jack approaching fast, she apologized herself to both Pete and Buffy and joined Jack, the two of them confering briefly. Buffy noticed several others scattered across the room checking their beepers or listening on their cells.

"Buffy, I'm sorry but something has come up at the mountain." Jack had stepped up to her.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I'm really, really sorry but would you mind if Pete took you home?"

"Sure, no problem." Buffy smiled reassuringly at Jack when she noticed that he was genuinely concerned about leaving her like this.

Out of the corner of her eye she also witnessed with bewilderment as a tiny exodus started with several people disentangling themselves from their dates and/or conversational partners and heading determindly for the exit.

"Good. Again, sorry about this. I'll call you as soon as I can." Jack briefly embraced her, gave her a lingering kiss on the lips and after a last apologizing look headed for the exit himself with Sam in tow.

Buffy could only stare after them until Pete brought her her coat and the two of them left as well.

_What can be so urgent with Deep Space Radar thingummy?_

* * *

Pete was really quiet during the drive, which as far as Buffy could tell was unusual for the easy going detective and careful probing brought only monosyllabic answers. 

_Either he doesn't know either or he doesn't want to talk. Curiouser, curiouser._

Pete dropped her off at her flat and after debating with herself whether to wait up for Jack's call, decided she had enough of the little wifey routine and headed for a lonely bed tonight.

* * *

The next morning Buffy had to work early shift from 6 'til 2, coming home showed no message from Jack on her answerphone. She was slightly peeved.

* * *

After doing some shopping, straightening the apartment and doing the dishes, it was six o'clock and she settled herself on the sofa with a magazine.  
When she noticed that for the last fifteen minutes she had stared at the same ad for safer and cheaper breast implants, she threw the magazine on the table again and caved, grabbing the cordless. 

The fifth ring got her Jack's answerphone and she angrily hung up without leaving a message.

* * *

By Monday Buffy was sure something had happened. She had passed anger and that left only deepseated dread and fear. 

_Even if he's up to his eyeballs in work, it's only a phone call._

No word from Jack at all and no response from his home. Buffy had even driven past his house and peered through the windows in her desperation.

She had tried to reach him through the official channels at the base but had gotten the brush off by the increasingly less polite receptionist. When even that brought no response from Jack even though someone surely would have told him about the madwoman on the phone, it told her something had to be fundamentally wrong.

She had no number of Sam's but had managed to get a hold of Pete, knowing that he worked as a detective. He had no word of Sam either but assured her that sometimes work at the mountain tended to run a little longer.

_All that deep space must be really hopping if there's no time for even a brief call in between. This isn't like Jack at all._

Buffy was sure that she wasn't in on something and Pete wasn't about to tell her. And it drove her stark raving mad.

* * *

Increasingly desperate she was about to resort to drastic measures like walking up to that mountain and using her slayer strength to punch a hole in it and demand some answers when finally, thankfully on Monday evening her cell rang. 

"Yes?"

"Buffy? It's me, Jack."

"Jack! Thank goodness. I was about to do the girly thing and start burning your pictures 'cause you didn't call. Then I realized I didn't have any." Buffy's attempt at levity sounded lame even to her. "I was really worried." She amended in a quiet tone. All her anger and resentment about Jack leaving her like that during the formal vanishing in the face of finally hearing his voice again.

"I'm sorry, kiddo. But some really serious stuff came up and they kept us there until all was resolved. There was this bigwig who absolutely wouldn't understand a no as an answer."

"Are you home right now?"

"Yeah, finally." Jack sounded relieved.

"I'll just pop by then." She just had to see him.

"Actually about that…"

"No, no, no! There's no way you can leave me hanging for three whole days and then keep me on the fringes for even longer. No way, no how." Buffy was determined to not let herself be put aside again.

"Buffy..."

Buffy continued as if he hadn't spoken at all. "I'll just grab my stuff and come right over."

"Buffy! I'm sorta… well, not at my peak right now."

"Doesn't matter. I'll just bring something to eat and you won't have to stir at all." Buffy knew she sounded like an over eager puppy but she had been so anxious and even angry at some point. But she was determined to leave that for a personal confrontation. "I just missed you so."

_And I was so worried.  
__I thought you worked this nice cushy, totally harmless job, looking for aliens or something.  
__Turns out there's probably more to it. And I'm not sure I want to think about that._

"Oh kiddo." Jack sighed. "I missed you too. You not already on your way?"

* * *

When Buffy hastened up the steps to Jack's house she was laden with Chinese take out and a whole assortment of different snack foods not sure what Jack would like. 

The drive and shopping trip had taken only a record 40 minutes, Buffy's beetle was still smoking at the wheels.

Jack opened the door before she could even reach for the bell and smiled down at her.

"What did you do? Bought out the drive thru?" But he smiled as he said it.

"I'll have you know that I bought only stuff of all the basic food groups. Everything with great nutritional value. At least that's what it says on the package."

Jack peered dubiously at the label of Dunkin' Donuts and just looked at her pointedly.

"Ok, ok. But I was in a hurry to get here. Now, take some of the loot and then let me in properly. And be prepared for a talking to, you big insensitive lug. Not calling for ages after leaving me like that. Tsk. Unbelievable!"

But as Jack stepped aside having the decency to look slightly sheepish Buffy couldn't help but notice: "You're limping." And all her carefully reactivated anger receded again.

She looked up from her observation and said drily. "Fell over a telescope?"

Jack chose to ignore it and blithely said: "It's just the knee acting up again."

"Right." She didn't push it, having made her decision already anyhow.

* * *

After the Chinese was gone and some sandwiches too for good measure, Buffy and Jack still lingered in the dining room, chatting about everything and anything. 

Buffy had tried a few half hearted attempts at getting Jack to spill about his work but he sidestepped neatly, diverting her with his dry observations about the people from the formal.

They took the dishes to the kitchen and without much fuss started the washing up together, the radio in the background playing some soft jazz tunes.

"Have I told you that Dawn will arrive the day after tomorrow already?"

Jack had told Buffy that she was more than welcome to join him and 'his kids' in their Christmas plans but Buffy had declined, intending to spend some quality sister bonding time first and in truth felt that she didn't want to become one of those clingy girlfriends, preventing Jack from spending any time with his friends without her being there too. So when Dawn had told her that she would be arriving on 24th already it all neatly fit together.

"No. Not bad. Are you looking forward to showing lil' sis all the spectactular sights Colorado Springs has to offer?" Jack's voice was fairly dripping with sarcasm.

"Absolutely. I'm standing next to the best one right now. She's dying to see you." Buffy teased and Jack paled a bit.

"Goody! Any particular warnings?"

"Nope, just your regular inspection by the in-laws."

"In-laws. Hmm." Jack nonchalantly polished a glass to crystal clear perfection, holding it up to the light.

Buffy blushed a deep red.

_Way to go on the freakometer. You spend just two weeks together and you're already mentioning in-laws._

"I mean.. you know… I was just kidding! You know what I meant!" Exasperated Buffy snapped her towel at Jack.

He lithlely avoided it, game leg nothwithstanding and instead caught her arms in an embrace. He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply.

"You staying over?" He murmured, still trying to pinpoint how she managed to smell of cinnamon.

Buffy smiled: "I'd planned on it but with you making like Cpt. Blackbeard minus the beard," she pointed to his leg "I wouldn't want to make a bad thing worse."

"Naw, not possible."

"You mean, it's already the worst?"

"Of course." Jack's grave reply was only slightly hampered by him breathing it seductively into her ear, nuzzling her hair, obviously distracted.

Buffy felt a shudder run through her body and goosebumps rose on her arms.

Jack's fingers traced idle patterns on her skin.

"Yawn." He didn't do it, he actually said it, Buffy noticed with a grin. "I'm suddenly awfully tired."

"No!" Buffy sounded entirely disbelieving and entirely false and continued brightly. "Then by all means, let's go tuck you in." And she disentangled herself from Jack's embrace, took his hand in hers and set out for the bedroom resolutely.

Once they were there, Buffy had a slight attack of nerves.

_I've only been here once. What if he suddenly decides that he doesn't want this anymore? Doesn't want me? And what kind of underwear am I wearing?_

Jack had no such thoughts, except maybe about Buffy's unmentionables but more in the context of getting her out of them ASAP.

Jack took her face into his hands, lowering his lips to hers. Starting out slow, the kiss soon turned heated when both of them got into it. Their tongues dancing in fast and slow strokes, winding around each other, small nips and teasing bites in between drawn out licks and insistent pressure.

Buffy felt a lazy heat coiling low in her belly, spreading slow tendrils throughout her body, dispersing any lingering doubts. She let her hands roam freely over Jack's chest and back, eventually arriving at his lower back, enjoying his reaction as she let her hands dip just that little bit lower.

Jack pressed in closer, trying to envelope the whole Buffy into his arms. He slid his hands under her sweater intent on getting rid of the hampering garment.

Buffy stepped back and easily pulled off the sweater, bent down to slide down the zippers of her boots and stepped out of them, already reaching behind her to open her heavy woolen skirt and let it fall to the ground.

Jack was torn between not wanting to loose a second of the show and getting out of his clothes as soon as possible himself. He reached for the fly of his jeans, nearly groaning in relief when sliding it down eased the pressure on his aching erection. He easily stepped out of both his jeans and boxers.

Impatiently he yanked his sweater over his head and dropped it on the heap.

When Buffy began reaching back for the clasp of her bra, he stopped her: "Mind if I open my Christmas present early?"

She smiled at him and let her hands fall to her sides in clear invitation.

* * *

Quite some time later the two of them lay in a content tangled heap snugly under the covers. 

Buffy was lying full length on top Jack and both were on the verge of drifting off.

"Am going to miss you." Buffy mumbled somewhere in the vicinity of his solar plexus.

"It's only going to be a few days. And anyway, it was your idea."

"Stupid. Stupid idea. Stupid Buffy."

"Now come on, not all your ideas are stupid." Jack tightened his hold on her.

"That was just your bodacious bod tempting me." Buffy speech was slurring as sleep crept up on her.

Jack snorted. "Yeah right. And here I thought you liked my for my titillating conversation."

"Sure." It floated up dreamily and then she was out like a light.

* * *

tbc 


	8. Hard Facts And Harder Truths

**A/N:** For various, no-good reasons this story has not been progressing as intended. What you'll read now has been sitting on my hard drive for quite some time and whatever I wrote for what comes after it, blows goats, to put it mildly.  
I honestly don't know why I can't seem to put anything even remotely readable on "paper". For whatever suggestions you can make, I'd be eternally grateful.

No dedication this time. Aforementioned goats come to mind. ;o)

**Hard Facts And Harder Truths**

"Willow? Willow? Can you understand me now?"

"Yes, this is much better. How are you Buffy?"

"Fine, fine, just peachy. You?"

"Great. Kennedy's parents are so nice and their house? Actually no house, more like a palace. Buffy, they even have staff!" Willow sounded breathless even over the slightly crackling phone line.

"Awesome! Listen Willow, I have a favour to ask."

"Uh, oh. Something Hellmouthy? You need us to come over? Should we call Xander?"

"No, it's just that... I just need some intel on someone."

"Oh! Oh. I can do that." Willow actually sounded a bit dissappointed.

"If you could, you know... check his background, what he's working on right now, stuff like that. But don't let anyone know."

"Of course not. Umm, do you mean like nobody as in no Giles, no Dawn, no anybody? Because you know how I am with secrets. As in very bad."

"I'll just know, you'll try."

"Pressure." Willow's voice was slightly tinged with panic. "I can feel the pressure already. But I'll be calm and collected and just breathe deeply and it'll all go away easy as pie."

Buffy had to smile as she pictured the redhead doing just that halfway across the world.  
"Willow, I miss you."

"I miss you, too, Buffy."

"I have to go. My shift starts in about an hour and I'm still bedhead Buffy. Have a great stay at Kennedy's."

"Bye, Buffy."

Buffy's finger was already halfway to the disconnect button when she heard Willow's tinny voice shrieking from the phone.  
"Buffy! Buffy! You haven't told me on whom I should do the checking."

Buffy rolled her eyes in annoyance at her own distractedness.  
"His name is General Jonathan O'Neill, with two Ls. He is stationed here at Cheyenne Mountain."

"Zoot. The military butting in again?"

"No. This is..." Buffy barely stopped herself from saying 'personal' which would have surely lead to more questions than she wanted to answer just now and instead said: "just for being on the safe side."

"Ok. I'll email you anything I'll find."

"Great. See ya, Wills."

"See ya."

* * *

When Buffy powered up her laptop during her break, sure enough Willow had sent a long email complete with attachments containing Jack's detailed service record and his current stationing: SGC, Stargate Command, Cheyenne Mountain.  
Willows accompanying email read as follows concerning that.  
"It's freaksome but everything before his actual posting in Colorado wasn't that hard to find, just buried the usual way for these Special-Ops types. After his posting there, zilch. Just that name, Stargate Command and the fact that he retired twice but came back again, no reasons given. And that he is the commander of whatever it is.  
I tried finding out exactly but couldn't find anything, just loads of nifty firewalls and electronic trip switches. They really don't want anybody finding anything without them knowing.  
I can tell you everything before SGC, even his Special-Ops mission reports are findable (the guy spent three months in an Iraqi prison! shudder), but after that nada.  
If you want I can 'look' another way... 

On a weird side note, he is listed as the military advisor to that godawful TV series Wormhole Extreme. Guess even ultra-secret types can't resist the Hollywood glamour.  
:-)"

Thoughtfully Buffy closed her laptop after browsing through all the material Willow had sent along. She felt slightly bad at poking around in Jack's life and had actually skipped over his more personal info. He had told her himself that he had been married once and even that he had lost his son to an accident. She didn't want to snoop but she needed answers whether he could be trusted.

_Of course he can be trusted.  
With me, yes.  
But can he be trusted with the slayer as well?_

* * *

Buffy was stretching up on her toes.  
_Sometimes I just wish for those 5 inches more. _  
People were milling about, routinely getting in each others way, stepping on feet and bumbling their bags any which way.  
Business as usual at the airport just more so during the holidays. 

Buffy had been waiting for Dawn's flight to arrive, since of course it had been delayed by bad weather in Chicago.  
It was by now two hours later than anticipated but Buffy was still in good spirits.  
_Having time and nowhere to go for the next week is too good to spoil._

If she was truly honest she cultivated a slightly over the top sense of all-will-be-well since reading Willow's email. She was unwilling to allow herself to really sit down and think about what she now knew, little though it was. She hadn't told Willow to dig further either because in a way she wanted everything to stay as it was.  
_It's been so great. Why can't I ever pick a normal guy?_  
But Buffy stopped herself going down the road of self pity and deep down she knew that somewhere someone just wasn't about to let up on her. Normal just wasn't for her.  
_And actually thinking there's a plan to everything makes dealing easier. At least then you have someone to blame._  
She seriously tried not to speculate what Stargate Command and Jack's involvement might mean and wasn't about to start now.  
_Tomorrow's another day._

And then there was Dawn, just coming out of Immigration, struggling with a way too heavy bag and the inevitable laptop case. She had grown even taller it seemed or Buffy had just forgotten from the last time. Her hair was still waistlength with it's requisite coloured streak at one temple. Apparently this week's flavour was fire engine red. Her clothes were a bit rumpled as expected after a longdistance flight, her jeans with the flared legs had geometric applications running around her thigh and her maroon sweater was of a matching, slightly severe A-cut with a square neck line. Long, dangling earrings completed the willowy look.  
_She's actually grown up. When did that happen?_

For a brief moment Buffy let herself roam her memories, both monks-induced and real.  
Dawn had accompanied Buffy to Europe right after the Sunnydale Hellmouth's collapse. Buffy had tried to make good on her promise to show her the world and that had been fine until they had heard of the L.A. gang's deaths. Buffy was freaking and Dawn had her own stuff to deal with, since at that time it came out that not all of her keyness seemed to be gone. They found out the hard way when some warlock kidnapped her and used her blood in an old fashioned heist... on the crown jewels. The resulting PR war zone was deftly handled by Giles pulling some heavy duty strings, aquired together with dominion over the old Council's assets (and blackmail material).  
It turned out that Dawn's blood couldn't be used to open interdimensional portals anymore but was pretty nifty opening locks. Any kind of lock. Which came in handy when you forgot your car keys on the inside but pretty much made for open season on her... again.  
It had seemed wise to put her under heavy protection and Giles and Illyria seemed to be the safest bet. Once the first dust had settled and word got out that messing with The Key meant having a whole assortment of brassed off Megawitches, an Old One and an army of slayers on your tail, Dawn even selected to stay for the time being. She had discovered that research wasn't so bad and that being The Key also meant languages came real easy to her thus happily having found her vocation.  
That left Buffy to do her grieving and by the time she was done, Dawn had moved on on her own.  
Sometimes Buffy thought guiltily that she should have put more effort into staying involved in Dawn's evolvement.  
But for a long time she had felt unable to muster up the effort.

Determined to belatedly make up for any shortcomings on her part in the past she whooped and waved madly at seeing Dawn looking around, searching for her.  
Buffy hopped off her stand on the bench and pushed her way through the throng of people.  
Dawn's face lit up at seeing her sister's determined face, dropped her bags and the two enveloped each other in a hug.  
"Buffy! It's so great to finally be here. Flying sucks."  
"Dawn! What has been taking so long? You did that on purpose just to have me stuck here for hours, didn't you?" Buffy grinned at her sister.  
Dawn pretended to be smug. "Busted. I just love hanging around for an extra two hours next to the seat neighbour from Hell! Honestly, he was chewing my ear off, figuratively speaking, everything else would just be ewww! But really, I now know more about the healing forces of amethyst and channeling properties of whatsit than I ever wanted to. That guy was such an amateur!" Dawn rolled her eyes for emphasis.  
Buffy chuckled and grabbed Dawn's bag, hefting it easily.  
Dawn was craning her neck and apparently looking for something. "So... where's he?"  
"Huh?" Buffy hedged, knowing full well who Dawn was refering to.  
"Mr.Wunderbar of course. Jack. You know, you never did tell me his full name."  
"And for good reason. I know what you would have done with that info."  
Dawn managed to pull off the wounded, innocent look perfectly. "I have no idea what you could mean." She was actually pouting.  
Buffy wasn't fooled. "You'd probably know his shoe size by now, through that hellish contraption. You know, I begin to sympathise with Giles on that count." She pointed to Dawn's other bag, the laptop case.  
"Buffy, you not only sympathise, you actually left Giles waaaayyy behind on the technophobia front. He even uses the calendar on his mail program nowadays."  
"It has a calendar?"  
"QED." Dawn couldn't have sounded drier.  
"Huh?"  
"Quod erat demonstrandum. Case in point."  
"Do they teach you anything useful at that uni of yours? Like hazing and binge drinking?"  
Laughing Dawn and Buffy left the terminal to join the queue of cars on the highway back to Colorado Springs.

* * *

After only two and a half rings it sounded: "Hello?"  
"Hey, merry Christmas to you." Jack had manners if he put his mind to it.  
"Merry Christmas to you too."  
"Miss the old bodacious bod already?" Jack teased and was gratified to hear Buffy spluttering.  
"No," came the drawled reply. "But then again stranger things have happened. I'm Dawn by the way. I think you wanted to talk to my sister? You know, Buffy?"  
Jack was actually mortified.  
_Great way to introduce yourself. Come off as a narcissistic egomaniac._  
"Ummh... Yeah?"  
_Smooth, O'Neill, real smooth._  
"Buffy!" Jack winced at the sudden volume. "Your boyfriend just tried to chat me up. You sure he isn't evil?"  
_Gah! If there is a worse way, I sure hope I'll never find it._  
Then he had a slightly breathless Buffy on the phone.  
"Jack? Excuse my idiot sister. She forgot her medication again. Ow! Dawn!"  
"Actually she's right, I did chat her up." Jack felt compelled to admit.  
"Oh?"  
"Thought she was you."  
"Oh! That's alright then." She sounded mollified but then: "Unless...?"  
"No. You're jailbait enough for this sad old carcass."  
"Who's with you then?"  
"Huh?"  
"I mean, who's the sad old carcass and isn't it slightly rude to say that when it could hear you?"  
Jack snorted laughing.  
"Actually I was calling about a whole collection of carcasses. All here at my house. The day after tomorrow. At four."  
"First off let me say, huh? And follow that up with a hearty ewww! What are you talking about?"  
"This year is my turn to throw the annual leftovers party. Me and a coupla friends get together to tackle the debris from the holidays. You know how it's usually that you can't stomach any more of your own holidays meals but there's still plenty left and you can't just throw it away? So we invented this bash to get rid of our own leftovers and eat the other's."  
"Great idea! Last year I actually threw out half of my roast with walnut horseradish cream. Although, I caught Xander trying to get rid of his portion even before that. Can't imagine why."  
Jack took a moment to come back from the scary visual place the idea of walnut horseradish cream had sent him to. "So, you coming? Dawn's welcome too, of course." Jack hastily amended.  
"That would be... Willow!"  
"Huh?"  
"Jack, I have to go. Something came up. I'll call ASAP."  
"O-k. 'Til then." But the line was dead already.  
_Weird. And wasn't this Willow supposed to be in Europe somewhere? England or something?

* * *

_

Buffy managed to hit the disconnect button on the cordless blind. Willow on the brainphone meant dire circumstances.

_Buffy! Are you listening? _

_Willow! Don't ever do that again without some warning._

_Sorry, but this is urgent._

_It had better be. You in my head is not something I'd like to have for something less than at least a minor apocalypse or a wedding announcement.  
_Buffy hoped that Willow managed to pick up her teasing tone from her mental voice. The last time Willow had contacted her telepathically had indeed been to tell Buffy that she and Kennedy were going to tie the knot. Buffy hoped it would be equally good news now but braced herself for the other kind.

_Sorry, no flowers and hearts this time. Giles has bad news. You remember him going on and on about how he thought there was a mole somewhere in the Slayer's Council?_

Buffy vaguely recalled Giles going on a rant about it months ago but even he had admitted then that it was probably a fluke when she had asked for evidence to pursue and he had to hedge and tell her that it was just a feeling.  
_Damn! Teaches me to pay attention to Watcherguy. Again._  
It wasn't the first time Buffy or any number of members from the SC found themselves on the wrong side of one of Giles' hunches.  
_Spill. Who do I have to take to the cleaners? _Buffy sent an image along of her cracking her knuckles.

Willow's mental voice was coloured with amusement. _Actually nobody. He came clean on his own and is now working for us. _

_Pity. What's the sitch? This work for the whole shebang or just me?_

_We don't know yet. We have given a general alert to all the seers to be on the lookout but I wanted to give you a heads up. Consider me your friendly early warning system. _

Buffy chuckled mentally as well as physically. _That you are, Wills and more. So, what do we know?  
Vikram said he had been approached by someone left over from the old Council days. Vikram's the mole, by the way. Although we know him now, so not a mole but more like a turncoat mole. And that sounds icky somehow._

_Willow! You're doing it again._

_Oh sorry. Anyway, Vikram was approached and accepted. Apparently these old Council types weren't happy with the way we handle things._ Willow's disdain for these yesteryear guys clearly shone through her mental voice. _They intend to teach us our place by laying their hands on this nifty, interdimensional thingy. Some kind of uber-powerful artifact, capable to communicate with the gods. Pfft. As if. Anyhow, Vikram got cold feet at hearing about the gods part which apparently they only let him in on after he did some stupid macho trial or hazing or something._

_I get it: old Council guys calling God collect leads to neener-neener-nee-na in our direction._

_Precisely._

_Wankers!_

_Buffy! Such language! I'm impressed and totally in agreement. _

Buffy blew a mental raspberry._ They deserve to be called names in Britishspeak. And is there anything I should be looking for? Anything I should be asking the local preternatural community between "Hi, I'm Buffy" and "I will be your slayer for this evening"?_

_Our Not-mole said "Chaapa'ai". That's what the thingy is called. No visuals though._

_Neat. Sounds like dog chow to me._

An unladylike snort reached Buffy's 'ears'._ You and me both. Giles actually has some texts that seem to refer to it but he was unable to make anything from them. He said to let Dawn try, she and him worked on that language together this summer._

_That'll go straight to her head, I just know it. Can't have the baby menace put one over me._

_Granted, but you gotta admit she swore a mean streak of Sumerian at that smarmy Italian guy the last time._

_Spare me. I blushed when she translated afterwards. I did not want to know that my little sister knows even half of those words, let alone whether they are anatomically possible._

_Think good thoughts, Buffy. It'll pass._

_Not by a long shot, I thought about locking her up and throwing away the key. But since she is the key to end all keys, that would be kinda silly._

_Too true, too true._ Came the wise, noncommital reply.

* * *

_tbc_


	9. Sisterly Bonding & Tupperware Party Wit...

A/N: Thank you for the encouragement I got from you guys. Hopefully this is ok.

* * *

Buffy and Dawn spent the 25th and 26th mostly in Buffy's appartment, catching up and in Dawn's case already starting on some of the texts Giles had promptly FedExed.

Buffy's flat looked like a very specialized tornado had taken place with post-its and spread sheets all over any free horizontal or vertical space.

Dawn was happily ensconed in geekland and Buffy took the opportunity to do a complete overhaul first of herself, nails, feet, hair, the lot and then her appartement. She nearly drove Dawn nuts when she kept shuffling the papers around and in the end Dawn grabbed her and they went to one of the various coffee shops.

Dawn had developed an unholy addiction to coffee and wouldn't touch the freeze dried stuff at Starbucks with a ten foot pole, going on and on about the fact that Germany luckily was only just opening up to it.

Secretly Buffy thought that that put Germany smack dab in the middle of the lesser developed countries but wasn't about to say so out loud for fear of Dawn's very vocal retribution.

Dawn had just confessed over her second double short Americano with steamed milk that she was actually looking forward to some Hellmouthy action.

"I really love studying but it's really hard when half of the languages I know can't be used for credit since they officially don't exist. I mean who could proofread a paper on the inflectives in Fyarl?"

"Giles might."

"Wouldn't want to put my finger in an open wound." Both kept their straight faces for a beat but cracked up right after.

Once they had settled down again with Dawn brushing off a bit of Moccachino froth Buffy had laughed in her direction Buffy asked with a half teasing tone: "So, how many languages do you speak as of today? And relish this short moment of intellectual superiority as it's not likely to last 'til our next round of Trivial Pursuit."

"16 and I'm so going to kick your ass next time. The last time we played I was like 12 or so."

"16?" Buffy squeaked. "You're such a nerd."

"That's only the ones I speak. It's not like anyone knows how to speak Ancient Egyptian for example, can read and write it though." Dawn sounded impossibly smug, sitting there sipping her coffee.

"And still you manage to mostly say nothing noteworthy at all." Buffy deadpanned.

Dawn stuck out her tongue in true younger sister form.

"Soooo... you managed to avoid The Topic 'til now. But I'm on to you." Buffy got a finger shaken at her. "What's with the Jack? Usually you shouldn't be able to stop talking about him and here we are and still I know next to nothing about the guy who makes you smile that weird way you do right now."

Buffy felt caught out and quickly hid her face behind her Moccachino.

"Spill already or I'll have to resort to drastic measures." Dawn wraggled her eyebrows in what she thought would be an ominous manner. It so wasn't in Buffy's informed opinion.

Buffy took a moment to contemplate what she wanted Dawn to know, weighing wether she wanted to keep her suspicions to herself, wanting to go it alone, shielding Dawn, then chucked all pros and cons out the window and said artlessly, surprising herself with her honesty: "He makes me laugh, he makes me think, he doesn't take crap or let's me get away with anything. His kisses just blow me away and I think he might be evil after all."

She singlemindedly stirred her Moccachino not daring to look at her sister.

"Bummer. That sounds..." Dawn faltered, obviously searching for something appropiate. "...serious. And sucky. And amazing. Why do you think he's evil?"

"He's head of something called SGC. Some ultra-secret thing even Willow can't find more info on."

"That setup sounds weirdly familiar. And not in a good way."

Buffy finally looked up into Dawn's eyes which were full of compassion and said miserably: "I know."

"Have you asked him yet?"

Buffy snorted. "How? 'Hey Jack, I found out about you being involved in some hush-hush military thingamabob. You into dissecting demons and weird science?' I don't think so, Dawn."

"It might not be so bad." Dawn didn't really sound convinced.

Buffy just looked at her sister.

"Ok, given your track record it might." Dawn relented. "But still, are you willing to give it up, give Jack up without hard evidence that he really is a bad guy?"

"What if prooving involves getting hurt or worse getting someone else hurt?"

"We'll just have to make sure, it won't come to that. And anyway, he's not evil." Dawn tried to sound convincing and Buffy really wanted to believe it.

* * *

"Run by me again who will be there." Dawn rearranged the tupperware container in her lap.

"Well, Jack obviously."

"Whom I will know by him immediately becoming attached to your lips, I guess." Dawn smirked. "Besides the fact that he will have a 'bodacious bod' and be really old."

Buffy accompanied her stinging slap to Dawn's thigh with a glare.

"Ok, ok. Shutting up now. Though I still can't believe you bagged a General."

Buffy ignored her, it usually was the only thing that worked and continued: "Then there will be Sam Carter and her fiancé Pete. I forgot his last name. She's military and working with Jack. Pete is a cop. She's blonde, short haired, a bit on the practical side fashionwise. Then there's Daniel Jackson. Doctor Daniel Jackson actually. He's cute in a geeky sense. And Murray, whom I haven't met yet. From the photos he looks like a pro wrestler. You know, tall, black, build like a tank, no neck to speak of?"

Dawn nodded knowingly.

Meanwhile Buffy had maneuvered her beetle through suburbia and parked it in front of a low bungalow with a spacious garden surrounding it.

"Here we are." Buffy actually looked a bit apprehensive.

She and Dawn had agreed to let the matter of Jack and his maybe or maybe not evilness lie for the moment, just waiting for the next development and to Buffy's amazement, awaiting Dawn's verdict. Buffy had surprised herself by by wanting, actually needing another's opinion and even more by the fact, that she wanted Dawn's in particular. Over the last days Dawn had proven to be quite insightful at times, a tidbit Buffy had intentionally skipped on telling Dawn about.

_Her head is big enough as it is what with making progress with that Chappy translation, Giles was so stumped about._

The sisters took a moment to smile reassuringly at each other, unbuckled grasping the tupperware containers with their contribution to the leftover party and got out of the car.

Buffy rang the door bell for them. Both could hear the soft strains of music and people talking and laughing from the inside.

When the door opened it was to Jack's smiling face.

"Finally. I thought you'd chickened."

Buffy took a step across the threshold and enveloped Jack into a tight embrace, turning up her face for a welcoming kiss. Jack obliged happily and then turned to Dawn.

"Hi, I'm Jack." He extended his hand in greeting.

Dawn took it and both noted that the other had a nice firm grip.

"I'm Dawn. Obviously." She grinned, not releasing his hand and letting her eyes wander up and down Jack's lean frame, checking him out thoroughly and obviously.

After a short moment of being intensely scrutinized Jack raised an eyebrow: "Personally I'd say, slightly used but still servicable. What say you?"

"Dunno. Can you do any tricks?" Dawn took pains to look dubious.

"Pottery and a mean guacamole. For the rest you'll have to ask Buffy." Came the deadpan reply.

Dawn guffawed, letting go of Jack's hand: "Will do."

Buffy released a breath she hadn't noticed she had held. There were so many thoughts going through her head, all jumbled together.

_He passed the Dawn patrol. Thank God! And since when did that become important?  
He didn't react as if he was somehow interested in Dawn for her keyness or otherwise he is the best actor I've ever seen.  
Why is everything coming together so perfectly when I know, that something must be so very wrong with him? And why do I have to keep asking myself that and can't finally, thankfully just find someone and have my life be uncomplicated for a while_

* * *

Jack led the two Summers women into the kitchen where Buffy smiled and waved hi when she saw Daniel Jackson busily tipping his own contribution to the party into a bowl. He looked up, adjusted his glasses and smiled back in greeting.

"Daniel, you've met Buffy already. This is her sister Dawn. This is Daniel, Doctor Daniel Jackson."

"Hi." Dawn smiled and was apparently determined to be on her best behaviour. Buffy envied her ease a bit. She herself felt so tense and on her guard, she could barely squeeze out the usual niceties.

"I definitely picked the wrong U to study at. I didn't even know they made doctors that young." Dawn and suaveness, Buffy nearly rolled her eyes.

Looking over expecting to see the good doctor wincing or something, Buffy was surprised to see him flustered.

"Ummh, well, where are you studying?"

"Heidelberg, Germany. Ancient History and Languages."

Daniel's eyes lit up and Buffy was astonished to see that it neatly transformed the slightly, ok a lot, geeky looking guy.

"With Professor Heistermann?"

Dawn's eyes grew huge also. "Yes! You know of him?"

"We emailed a couple of times concerning some Norse idioms."

"Oh yeah! Those can be a bummer! You know the trouble I always had, was getting the fricatives separated..."

That was about the moment where Buffy's self-protective instincts kicked in and she gladly lost track of that conversation.

She felt Jack step close to her and looked up to find him rolling his eyes theatrically: "How about we leave those two alone. Geek was never my forte."

She couldn't help but smile a bit, relaxing a little: "I hear you."

Looking up into Jack's apparently guileless face, she decided to try and loosen up a little and not expect the worst to happen. She was going to have some fun, getting to know Jack's friends, even if fun wasn't so much on her mind right now.

_Just go with the flow._

She squared her shoulders and slipped her hand into Jack's: "So let me at least proove that Summers women have a passing acquaintance with Miss Manners and introduce me to the others."

Jack nodded and pulled her toward the living room.

* * *

Sam and Pete were sitting on the sofa, talking. But when Jack entered with Buffy in tow, both looked up. Jack and Buffy stepped closer and Sam leaned over the backrest to smile welcomingly at Buffy.

"Hi! Glad you're here. Did you bring your sister?"

"Yeah, she's still in the kitchen with Dr Jackson."

"Apparently Daniel found someone actually able to listen to his geek speak without falling asleep after two minutes flat." Jack made it sound like quite a feat. Sam's next words, mumbled indistinctly prooved that:

"Not like some."

"What was that, Lieutenant Colonel?" But Jack was grinning.

"Sir, nothing, sir." Sam's textbook answer was most definitely hampered by the fact that she too was grinning.

Then Jack turned a bit and now Buffy was fully able to see the veritable mountain of a man standing by the fireplace, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Buffy, meet Murray. He is also working at the mountain. Murray, this is Buffy Summers."

Buffy extended her hand and when he took it and inclined his head in greeting, she felt instant tension coiling in her back muscles and going with the flow went out the window without a backward glance. In reflex she shook Murray's hand much harder than could be comfortable for someone without Slayer strength but he didn't even bat an eyelash, maintaining a serene, slightly aloof smile.

In contrast her blood was thrumming in her ears and it took all her efforts to focus on what Murray was saying instead of dropping to a defensive crouch.

"Buffy Summers. I am honoured to meet you."

He had an odd lilt to his voice and sounded somehow old fashioned. Her spidey senses were going haywire and it had most definitely to do with this 'Murray' person.

Jack seemed unaware and Murray himself was unreadable.

_Either no one knows or they are in deeper than I thought.  
__Jack, don't forget Jack. He is the General after all. If anyone is in deepest, it's him._

Buffy felt herself getting chilled from the inside out. It felt as if a giant hand had reached inside her and started squeezing. Everything went numb and distant.

She knew this feeling, this kind of eerie calm. It was always before the battle, always before fighting fist and foot for sheer survival.

She hated that she felt like that way now and for a moment she hated Jack for making her feel that way, for disappointing her. But when she looked at him and saw him grinning at something Pete said across the room, his chocolate eyes alight with humour, his suntanned face creased with an easy smile and his salt 'n pepper hair sticking up at the back of his head, she felt her heart wrench. And for a moment she hated fate most of all.

_tbc_


	10. Once Burned, Twice Shy

A/N: Good news, everyone. I have nearly everything finished and will be posting the final chapters (about 5 or so) at regular intervalls. Inshallah.

* * *

**Once Burned, Twice Shy**

All of them had spent a pleasant afternoon, talking and eating. All except Buffy who was on a hair trigger whenever she was near Murray and was deeply shocked when she found herself clutching her steak knife murderously when the only thing Murray had done was lean close to grab the mustard.

Nobody had managed to pry Daniel and Dawn off the topic of academic trivia. And it was only when Buffy plunked a stack of dishes directly into Dawn's hands, that it stopped by default.

Buffy herded Dawn into the kitchen while Jack took care of Daniel. She hoped to find the time to tell Dawn about her suspicions concerning Murray but they were never alone long enough.

Sam and Pete were taking Murray home right now because it had started snowing heavily and they were slightly worried about not being able to make it to Murray's place in the dark. So now the remaining four stood in the kitchen sorting dishes.

When Jack stepped up to Buffy to ostensibly hand her one of the bowls and took the opportunity to drop a short kiss on the side of her neck, Buffy couldn't help but tense up.

Jack looked at her, raising his eyebrows in question.

Buffy managed to squeeze out a smile and was infinitely relieved when Dawn gave her the opportunity to latch onto something.

"Guys, I need some fresh air. Daniel, you coming with?"

Buffy couldn't believe Dawn was serious: "It's snowing, Dawn!"

"I know." Dawn smiled blithely and ignored Buffy's pleading look not to leave her alone.

Daniel looked rather surprised but said of course he would. And the two of them left, leaving Buffy alone with Jack, normally a good thing but right now the last thing she wanted.

She had her back turned but imagined Jack getting ready to put their alonetime to some good use.

She wasn't ready. Her back ached from the tension, her nerves were shot and her head hurt from thinking too much.

She knew she had to be suspicious but she didn't want to be. She liked Jack, liked him a lot and when she was perfectly honest with herself, it felt as if she was already halfway to much more. And her instinct told her that she could trust him. But her instinct had been wrong before, not recently but decisively and painfully. It was a pain she wasn't willing to ever feel again. And the risk of being wrong about trusting him especially with Dawn around wasn't something she was willing to take.

"You think they need a chaperone?" Jack's amused sounding voice broke through her heavy thinking.

"Huh?" Buffy had been so engrossed in her own thoughts, that she didn't understand what Jack meant at all.

"I mean, come on! Those two have been inseparable since Dawn got here, practically finishing each other's sentences. And now she wants to go outside. With him. And he goes along, when I know for a fact that Daniel positively hates being cold." Buffy turned around to see Jack smirking in the direction Dawn and Daniel had left.

"You mean... no!" Buffy stated vehemently.

"You gotta admit, it sounds kinda hokey."

She hesitated and then admitted: "Well, maybe." And it showed how preoccupied Buffy was with her own problems that this little tidbit didn't get a rise out of big sister.

* * *

"Thank Goodness! I really needed this." Dawn was taking a deep breath.

"I can relate, though I quit after grad school."

"Wise move. Buffy would have my head on a platter if she knew." She was taking another lungful of her cigarette. "Thank you for coming along. It would have been hard to explain why I wanted to come outside otherwise."

"No problem." Daniel hunched his shoulders inside his parka. Dawn didn't seem to mind the cold but he was always happiest with temperatures firmly above freezing point. They were sitting on a wooden bench which they had cleared of snow beforehand. The roof kept the still falling snow away, barely. It felt very peaceful, what with the night surrounding them like a comforting blanket, the falling snow gentling the usual noises.

Dawn was eager to resume picking Daniel's brain: "So, you think that I should try to get on this excursion?"

"Yes! It's a great way to get your feet wet and see if you really want to write your thesis on the Hitites."

"But most of the students on that excursion only know what's in C.W. Ceram!" Dawn scrunched up her nose in disgust.

"But the prof doesn't! And that's the point. You need to get them to notice you otherwise you'll just be another student and it'll be that much harder to get anyone to be your advisor for your doctorate."

Dawn was so glad to have found someone who actually knew how everything worked. German universities weren't big on giving students a helping hand with tips and tricks, but rather expected them to figure it out for themselves. She was so engrossed listening to Daniel that she nearly went through the roof when suddenly an ungodly racket arose next door.

She craned her neck and saw some guys, apparently the neighbours or their kids, since none of them looked over 25 and sort of grungy, standing together on the front lawn around the kicked over trash can. The tranquility of the continuously falling snow in sharp contrast to the actual proceedings next door.

Dawn couldn't hear a word Daniel was saying as the guys started kicking the trash can about, laughing and having a good time at the expense of everyone else's ear drums. Never mind the fact that it was already past nine o'clock and someone might want to sleep.

She stood up, turned around and yelled across the lawn: "Hey, you morons! Quit with the racket already!" She sat down again, gratified when the noise stopped. Daniel just repeated what he had said before unflustered and Dawn settled her scarf securely around her shoulders, already completely engrossed again.

Daniel always gestured expansively, so when he suddenly stopped and went bug-eyed behind his glasses, Dawn couldn't help but notice and sat up. "What's the matter?"

"Dawn, is that what I think it is?" Daniel sounded very quiet and stared fixedly over Dawn's right shoulder.

She turned around and her eyes grew huge.

"Fuck!" She dropped her cigarette, whirled to face Daniel again who was still staring. "Get inside! Now!" She shoved him to get him to move. Behind her she could hear snarling noises getting closer rapidly.

Suddenly Daniel galvanized into motion, dragging her with him. He headed for the verandah door.

"You get your sister, I'll distract Jack. She packing?"

Dawn looked at him in utter bewilderment not understanding at all. "Huh?"

Daniel explained urgently: "Dawn, those are vampires. She's the Slayer. Is she prepared?"

"Always."

"Good! Get moving!" And he shoved her through the verandah door, closing it behind them.

While hurrying towards the kitchen Dawn managed to gather her wits enough to gasp out: "How?"

"I read." Came the tight reply and Dawn couldn't help but roll her eyes.

* * *

Dawn burst into the kitchen just behind Daniel who made a beeline for Jack saying something she couldn't make out.

"Buffy! You gotta see this. Like right now." And she didn't wait for Buffy to ask the whys and wherefores but simply grabbed her hand und dragged her back into the living room where her sister finally dug her heels in.

"What in hell are you doing, Dawn?" She sounded annoyed.

Dawn simply stepped aside, letting Buffy see what was outside.

Her mouth settled into a thin line and she squared her shoulders. "Crashers. I see. Dawn, you have to distract Jack and Daniel. They can't see..."

"No need. Daniel knows and is taking care of Jack."

Buffy's gaze burned a hole into Dawn who just shrugged. "He knew before."

"Go figure." Buffy determinedly pushed aside any thoughts about that particular piece of absolutely disastrous news for later examination and turned back to the big window where six vampires could be seen milling about on the deck baring their teeth and showing off their game faces at the humans so tantalizingly out of reach.

_If they make any more noise everyone will know._

The Slayer slid open the verandah door and stepped out to play.

* * *

"Boys, who forgot to tell you this is a private party?"

One vampire dressed in black leather pants and a totally weather inappropiate shortsleeved black tee stepped to the front.

"Lookee what we have here." He smirked at his buddies. "Found ourselves one of the itty bitty slayers to have fun with. Let me show you how the big boys do it." He finished with a leer, stepping closer.

Buffy spun around, gathered momentum and hit him with a high kick to the temple making him fly clean over the railing into the snow below.

"If you're sure you can handle me." Came Buffy's lackadaisical reply.

His buddies had been momentarily taken aback but after a few seconds they all turned on Buffy.

When number two came into range she tossed him effortlessly to join his friend in the snowdrift below

Number three received a swift, merciless jab upwards with the palm of her hand which drove the bone of his nose into his brain. It didn't kill him, but put him on the deck for the time being, to be dealt with later.

Number four managed to grasp her by the shoulder. She trod heavily on his instep, hearing the bones crunch and then cleanly twisted his head off. He exploded into dust.

She pulled her stake out of her boot and whirled around to plunge it into number five who had tried to get her from behind.

"Is this what your friend had in mind?"

She grinned at the last vampire still standing. He was clearly the newest of the bunch since he was looking at Buffy in bewilderment and was still hesitating, unsure what to make of it all.

Buffy didn't have time for him to make up his mind and threw her stake accurately.

It clattered to the ground, ash gently fluttering downwards around it.

Buffy sauntered over, picked it up and got rid of number three who just started stirring again from his place on the ground.

That left the first two. She vaulted over the railing. There was no sign of number two but for a patch of dark grey around a smashed wooden bird house.

Leatherpants was already standing again, not looking so cool anymore with snow clinging to him in odd places and his face nearly blue from the cold. He was eyeing her more warily.

"Summers." He snarled and showed his teeth.

"Gosh! You a fan?" Buffy put her hand on her chest as if flattered.

He didn't answer but instead launched himself at her, his fingers hooked like claws. That caught Buffy by surprise. She managed to sidestep barely.

"Gee, you must know 'Nosferatu' by heart."

He lashed out with his hand and caught the edge of her sweater, yanking it hard and making her stumble towards him. She used the momentum to barrel into him sideways, tumbling them to the ground. They rolled through the billowing snow, each determined not to let the other one get on top.

They were stopped by the edge of the deck, with Buffy smashing into it painfully and somehow Leatherpants managed to end up sitting on her stomach. He wrapped his fingers around her neck and squeezed.

_Jeez! What was this guy in life? Some kind of secret mud wrestling addict? This way he can't even bite me._

She put all her strength into an upward jab to his face making him loose his grip, while kicking up her legs, wrapping them around his head from behind and flipped him over backwards.

He landed on his stomach not three feet away with a satisfying 'oomph' and Buffy scooted over to put Mr Pointy to its designated use.

* * *

Dawn kept throwing anxious looks alternatingly outside and back into the house.

She hoped Daniel would manage to keep Jack distracted long enough for Buffy to finish.

Everything seemed to be taking forever outside and every noise sounded a hundred times louder than appropiate. Dawn kept expecting Jack and Daniel to pop up at the most inopportune moments. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the verandah door was shoved open forcefully behind her when she was checking for any sign of the guys.

Buffy stood just outside brushing snow off herself and stomping her shoes energetically. She was muttering darkly: "I just hope this doesn't stain. Damn, why is it always the new stuff this happens to?"

Dawn stepped closer, helping to brush off the last of the snow from Buffy's hair.

"All finished?"

"Yep."

And Dawn didn't say anything else when she noticed the tight set of Buffy's mouth.

The two sisters made their way to the kitchen just as Daniel burst out of it, throwing wild looks behind him. When he saw the two Summers who were eyeing him warily, he slid to a stop.

"Jack's in back, getting changed. I spilled maple syrup over him." Another wild look was thrown over Daniel's shoulder. "Everything ok? I mean..." He made exaggerated stabbing motions with his hand.

Dawn snickered. Combined with his wide-eyed look over the top of his slightly skewed glasses, it just looked too weird. Buffy shot her a look to show her she wasn't amused. Crossing her arms over her chest, she fixed Daniel coldly: "Dr Jackson, you've been holding out on us."

Daniel pushed his glasses up and answered easily, to all appearances utterly unflustered by Buffy: "I know, you're supposed to be a secret. But I found this Watcher's journal misfiled at Oxford when I was studying there. It's fascinating! I assumed that the Slayer was just a myth. But even myths have their roots in reality, I should best know that." At that he looked a bit self-deprecating and smiled disarmingly at Buffy, probably without even trying but she wasn't about to let herself getting taken in.

Her chest felt hollow and only deep seated resentment at Daniel, Jack, the Powers That Be and foremostly at her own naivety rattled around in it.

It had been a set up. The past wonderful weeks with Jack, all a lie, all just for the military to get their grubby paws on her and hers. She had been had, it must be so. Buffy's face burned with humiliation and an ice cold calm settled around her heart.

"So this is where you spring beefy guys with dark cammo and geeky ones in white labcoats on us?" She uncrossed her arms in utter, dangerous calm and took a step forward, nearly bringing her nose to nose, well, chest with Daniel, who continued looking harmless.

"What?" Now he added bewilderment to the picture. "Why would I do that?"

"Because, it's what you do." Buffy's voice sounded ice cold.

"I do?"

"Come on! You can't tell me you and your military pals haven't been setting this whole thing up."

"I can't?"

Dawn's voice broke in hesitantly: "Buffy, I think he might not be what you think he is."

But Buffy continued, without really hearing: "I can't believe, you got me so easily. Guess Jack got some real jollies out of this whole scheme. And I fell right for it! The delicious guy with the sense of humour and a sarcastic streak a mile wide, dinner and a movie and the tried and true Valentino routine on the couch..."

Dawn's muffled snort cut through Buffy's increasingly agitated tirade. Replaying her last sentences she blushed and was distracted for a bit.

Daniel jumped on the chance: "Buffy, I haven't told Jack, haven't told anyone." His blue eyes looked down on her with such seriousness, truly an oscarworthy performance in her book and she had been played by some good ones. "I just read a lot, that's why I know."

Buffy decided to take a calculated risk: "What's Stargate Command?"

While Daniel's expression fell, Buffy heard Dawn gasp behind her: "Did you say Stargate? Is that where Jack's working?" Her tone was urgent and incredulous at the same time.

Buffy turned her head to look at Dawn: "Yes. Didn't I say?"

"No!" Dawn wailed. "If you had I could have told you that Chaapa'ai roughly translates to Stargate."

Thick silence settled around the three of them, which Buffy broke by whispering: "Bummer."

* * *

Jack was annoyed. It had taken an age or two to clean up, since he had been positively drenched in sticky stuff.

_I swear, Daniel gets weirder and weirder. Nobody can be so clumsy as to manage to spill a whole bottle of maple syrup on someone else when said maple syrup wasn't even supposed to be anywhere near._

He closed his closet with a bit too much force, yanked the shirt he had picked closed and started buttoning and moving to the living room.

The lights were off and Jack expected everyone to be in the kitchen. Thus he was quite surprised at the tableau Buffy, Daniel and Dawn were presenting in the darkness.

"He-llo."

All three of them jumped slightly.

"What did I miss?"

Both Buffy and Dawn spoke at the same time.

"Nothing." Dawn smiled brightly.

Buffy just blurted out: "We gotta go."

"Already?" Jack put some whine into it. "I thought we could give the geeks some money for the library and..." He wriggled his eyebrows exaggeratedly.

Except for a weak grin by Daniel he got no reaction.

"Really Jack, we have to go." Buffy busied herself brushing off some unseen specks from her pant leg and started looking around for her purse.

Fast, as to make Jack's head spin the two women collected their purses and tupperware containers, shrugged on their coats and then he was waving goodbye to their beetle speeding off.

He closed the door and thumped Daniel's shoulder: "What did you do to scare them off?"

He had only meant it as a joke but Daniel shot him an almost guilty look and said nothing.

And Buffy hadn't kissed him goodbye or even met his eyes.

_

* * *

tbc_


	11. Reeling And Dealing

A/N: Just a rather short update, the rest is soon to follow, as soon as I can edit and have it betaed.

And just a teensy leeetle begging for feedback, otherwise I don't know whether I'm galloping off into the totally wrong direction.

* * *

**Reeling And Dealing**

On the evening of the next day, after he had had an almost boring day at work, Jack looked forward to meet Buffy at a record store mid-town. They had agreed on this days before, since Buffy found that his collection of CDs urgently needed something by someone born after World War II as she had jokingly put it.

He was on time and waited the requisite half hour before pulling out his cell and dialling her own cell number.

After about the tenth ring he hung up and tried both home and work.

Neither call got him his girlfriend.

Another wait of ten minutes and he headed back home.

He didn't get a hold of Buffy the whole evening.

The next morning on his way to the mountain he swung by Buffy's apartment. Nobody stirred even after leaning on the door bell for a minute flat. Jack checked the hallway and then picked the lock a bit clumsily, it had been a while after all.

The door swung open and suddenly Jack felt his heart thump heavily in his throat.

The apartment was empty. Not only was there no Buffy nor Dawn but also what little furniture there was, had been pushed to the walls and covered with white sheets. His feet felt leaden as he entered the bed room. The mattress was lying slightly askew on the bed, obviously for airing and all the closet doors were open, revealing only empty hangers.

Not a single sign that anyone lived here right now or even recently. Slowly he went back to the living room again, letting his gaze sweep the non-descript room where nothing personal caught the eye anymore.

"She can't be gone." Jack's own voice startled him and the flat echo he received from the liveless apartment felt like sucker punches.

* * *

Jack spent 9:30 to 12 o'clock reading reports from four different missions, one of them by SG-9 who had negotiated trade relations with the Gunak, a race who considered the correct form of address of utmost importance and spent hours on instructing SG-9.

He made notes in the margins. When Major Kovacek noticed, he inhaled a piece of bagel.

From 12 to 12:45 Jack ate in the commissary: chicken broth, pizza and "Turkish Delight" for dessert. The commissary staff felt slightly guilty when he asked for seconds since "Turkish Delight" was actually the whipped up remains of yesterday's vanilla pudding with lots of sugar and some pistaccio sprinkled on top.

12:45 found Jack back at his desk, making some calls.

At thirteen hundred hours Jack rose and went to the observation room expecting the klaxons going off for the scheduled return of SG-3 and 10. They were right on time. Seeing the all clear from Major Ferretti, Jack sent both teams to the Infirmary and ordered the debriefing for 14:30. After that he lingered a bit, unnerving Sergeant Harriman and finally went downstairs to the gate room to see off SG-2 for a visit to the alpha site.

At 14:30 Jack held the debriefing. When he asked for clarification and indepth explanation for the third time, Major Ferretti actually stuttered.

After finishing the rest of the reports in the afternoon, every single one of them, and writing some memos Jack looked over his desk, actually seeing the wood for the first time since starting at what he still sometimes thought of as General Hammond's job.

He spent a further eighteen minutes staring at the clock on the wall, waiting for 18:15.

Security at the base entrance logged General O'Neill as off-base at 18:25.

* * *

Daniel never had any illusions that he was a very perceptive person, unless it involved papyrus or ancient pottery, but even he knew something was off with Jack. It had started with Jack's approval form for the hideously expensive aquisition of a canopic jar from Christie's only two days after Daniel had filed for it and was confirmed when Daniel thought back and couldn't remember the last time Jack had come into his office stealing his coffee, holding up the wall and making a nuisance of himself.

Daniel didn't bother knocking on the already open door to Jack's office but instead came right in and closed the door behind him.

Jack looked up from squinting into his computer, no easy smile welcoming Daniel as usual.

"Daniel, what can I do you for?"

"Hey Jack, I thought maybe we could … talk."

Jack's eyebrows got lost in his hairline, sitting back in his chair, he steepled his fingers and very sedately said: "Uh-oh."

Daniel grabbed the visitor's chair, sat down and hunched forward, his arms on his knees, the very picture of the attentive friend, he figured.

"Well, you have been kind of .. off lately."

"Off?"

Daniel felt it was the appropiate word from all twentythree languages at his disposal.

"Yes. Is everything alright?"

"Peachy."

Ok, subtlety obviously wasn't working if Jack was going to be difficult.

"I noticed certain things. You haven't been quite your usual charming self lately." A rueful non-smile twisted the corners of Daniel's mouth.

"When have I ever, Daniel." Came the caustic reply.

Daniel wasn't about to be baited and instead forged ahead: "Is everything ok between you and Buffy?"

Daniel watched Jack closely but couldn't read him.

But then Jack slowly leaned forward, putting his elbows on his desk and unexpectedly answered: "Buffy split up with me." His voice carried no inflection. Then, for a very short moment wry amusement shone through. "Actually she more like split, period."

Daniel let out a surprised "Huh."

He honestly didn't know what was more disconcerting, the fact that Jack had opened up to him or the fact that Daniel knew why Buffy probably had left and Jack didn't.

It spoke volumes of Jack's inner turmoil that he had chosen to talk to Daniel at all. Every time before, he had just shrugged anything off apparently so easily that Daniel had come to think of Jack as an emotional duck, everything just seemed to roll right off.

Daniel mentally shook himself, now wasn't the time for musing on his interpretation of Jack's dealing capabilities.

"Have you tried home, work, her flat? Of course you have." Daniel interrupted himself before Jack could. "She just left? No note, no 'Dear John' letter?" Daniel winced at his lack of tact.

"Nope."

Jack's monosyllabic answer unnerved Daniel since Jack usually wouldn't let him off the hook so easily.

"How about having Sam look for her?"

Jack's sarcastic snort, reassured Daniel that Jack wasn't completely at the end of his rope.

"Sure, that would go over well. 'Carter, you mind doing some hacking since I seem to have misplaced my girlfriend.'"

"I see your point."

Uncomfortable silence settled between the two. Daniel was fiddling with his hands.

"I could check with Dawn's university in Germany."

"Nah, don't bother." Jack sounded bitter. "It's not the first time I got dumped. 's not like we ever really fit that well. She was too young."

But even Daniel could see the pain in Jack's eyes, now that he knew it was there.

* * *

_tbc_


	12. Loosing It

Ok, there is a good reason for me not updating for ages just after gleefully (and stupidly) announcing that this fic is in the final stretches. Let's just say the Chinese are right, may you live in interesting times **is** the worst imaginable curse.

Let's also just say dating sometimes plays havoc with the muse.

Thank you all for being patient and apparently still sticking around if you are reading this.

And special thanks to flatkasi for delivering a very special kind of kick in the butt.

**Loosing It**

Daniel sat in his office, making notes in cuneiform.

One thing among many others that sucked when one was prone to disappearing/being kidnapped/get seriously injured/dying was the fact that there was no way one was able to keep a private journal private since one always had to fear that wellmeaning colleagues and friends had to go through one's stuff. The whole working at a top secret military base with a top secret project was just an added complication.

It had always been easiest for Daniel to order his thoughts on paper, so he had adopted writing his journals in cuneiform, a language so dead that only about nine people on this planet could claim any kind of passing knowledge. Add to that his own shorthand and hideous handwriting and all anyone would see was random slashes all over the pages. Daniel still took no chances and never took his journals off base and had instructed Sam what to do just in case, same as she had admitted to keeping her own version of a modified LiveJournal heavily encrypted on an old Amiga in the back of her office.

He reread his entry from just after the leftover party at Jack's. Mostly he had been writing about his utter amazement, that there actually were such things as vampires and how come nobody knew about it or at least suspected. He had also hypothesized about some kind of halluzinogenic properties, maybe sort of pheromones being given off by the creatures, so that people tended to forget or discount what they had seen.

When he reached the point where he started writing about Dawn's startling revelation that she knew about the Stargate, he slowed down to think.

Telling Jack about Buffy being the Slayer hadn't seemed his place as long as it didn't harm Jack or compromised the Stargate, the possibility of which had seemed remote. The Stargate was alien after all, not supernatural.

Dawn's knowing of the word Chaapa'ai and that it translated to Stargate turned the whole thing on its head though.

Daniel had never subscribed to the military approach to label things top secret just because someone in the Pentagon arbitrarily decided for it to be so. He was onboard with the fact that they had to conceal the existence of the Stargate from the general population for the time being for fear of starting mass hysteria. He had arrived at that opinion because it was the logical thing to do, not because he had been ordered.

Gradually he had come to trust, not the military but the people he worked with.

Still, he had to account for the fact that some things were too big to keep in the immediate circle of people he trusted, people who, unlike him, were bound by the chain of command.

So if he told Jack about Dawn's knowledge, Jack would have to report it since it compromised security of the SGC, which would start a witchhunt, he didn't like to imagine. And considering the way Buffy had reacted to Daniel knowing about her, she seemed to have had her own experiences with the military and thinking of the NID, he wasn't surprised.

Daniel had rationalized the danger of outsiders knowing of the Stargate. Correction, he had rationalized Dawn and thus by default Buffy as the Slayer knowing. He had figured since the Stargate had been around for millenia and looked pretty arcane even without being activated, that at some point during the times the Stargate and the Slayer and her associates must have come into contact, which would neatly explain Dawn's knowledge. It also rationalized the need for immediate action since then the knowledge wouldn't be a new thing and thus presented no danger to the SGC.

Daniel had then decided not to tell Jack anything officially but go ahead and investigate a little on his own.

He would get in touch with Dawn, ask for her discretion and try to find out what she knew about the Stargate and if maybe she had access to ressources that would be pertinent to the SGC. Maybe by the time he had anything, Buffy would have told Jack on her own, had been his reasoning then.

Daniel closed his journal again and leaned back in his chair, swiveling a bit to help him focus his thoughts.

Obviously Buffy hadn't told him and Daniel felt guilty because he had tried to ignore something that important rather than get into an emotional quagmire. He had let himself become sidetracked and now it was too late.

But Daniel would remedy that, if he could.

* * *

**Sometimes fate seems ponderously slow, inevitable as it is and sometimes it strikes so fast, it leaves confused people flailing to get their life back on track in its wake.**

**This wasn't either of those times.**

**This was just bad timing. Or the best, depending on whoever you asked after everything settled down again.**

* * *

When Sergeant Harriman saw the Stargate flicker and be there and gone and there again like some special effect hadn't worked properly, he didn't take his eyes off the fluctuating gate even to blink but instead hit the alarm blindly. He wasn't about to make the same mistake twice, although it wasn't as if he had had any kind of forewarning the last time this had happened either. But he wasn't taking any chances, one scary interrogation by Dr Jackson was enough. Whoever had described the Doc as mildmannered and slightly loopy, didn't know half of it. 

"Security to the gateroom." The klaxons sounded and Harriman counted down the seconds it would take for the General to get here.

The Stargate continued to flicker, never vanishing completely without coming back a half second later.

"Report."

Harriman breathed a sigh of relief at the barked command by General O'Neill.

"Sir, about one minute ago the Stargate started vanishing and appearing again, just like now. There is no sign of regular gate activity and no unusual energy readings." He added after gratefully taking his eyes off the big circle of naquadah.

"Asgard?" Came the curt question.

"Negative, sir. No transporter energy signature at all."

"Would have been too easy otherwise. Get Carter and Siler."

"Yes, sir."

Just as Harriman had put down the phone again after paging Colonel Carter and Sergeant Siler over the PA, it rang.

"Sir? It's security. Apparently there has been an unauthorized entry. At one of the auxiliary entrances, cameras have been knocked out and the guards at that point aren't responding on the comm."

"Of all the ... Get me..."

"Sir, security says they have footage just before the camera blacked out. They are relaying it here right now."

The General leaned over Harriman in order to see the video feed better and so Harriman heard when General O'Neill's breath hitched and he groaned: "Oh hell, no. Buffy!"

And Sergeant Harriman was suddenly very glad to just be 'Chevron Guy' since it meant keeping your eyes front and center and didn't involve having to figure out how to handle a situation like this. Whatever this was.

Jack's molars were taking a lot of undue pressure while he reluctantly tore his eyes away from the video screen showing him his girlfriend - _ex-girlfriend, don't you forget it_ - calmly exiting a Ford Taurus and then walking up to the chainlink entrance gate. One of the sentries stepped up to her, obviously trying to turn her away, while Dawn inched closer to the solid steel outer door of the guard booth with the back-up guard inside as per procedure.

Buffy smiled an airheaded smile, one could see that clearly even though the video screen was tiny and the angle was a bit wrong. Then, just as Dawn was about to put her hands up to the barred door of the booth, Buffy made a quick chopping move, hitting the sentry in front of her on the side of the neck which felled him instantly, looked up at the camera catching everything on tape and Jack actually felt her gaze going clear through and through and aimed of all things an antiquated crossbow at it. Then the camera stopped transmitting.

Jack took only a moment, more than he had ever taken before and then issued a stream of orders.

* * *

Carter and Siler were sent to figure out what was happening with the Gate. Gate room security kept the still flickering Stargate in their sights, just in case but in Jack's mind Buffy's timely entrance was too much of a conincidence not to be the root of the problem. 

He hurried through the corridors of the SGC, meeting up with a contingent of marines at the elevator. Deliberately shutting off any feeling except grim determination he didn't even notice that Daniel had fallen in beside him during the rush through the corridors. More marines were already gathering topside to start combing the terrain.

Jack got handed his gear and proceeded with the briefing: "Auxiliary entrance B7 has been compromised by what seems like two female assailants. At least one of them is armed with a crossbow."

Because Jack was shrugging into his light kevlar vest just now and buckling it, he didn't see the slightly baffled looks some of the marines shared and Daniel's suddenly thoughtful expression.

"There might be others. Their target is unknown but the gate is showing unusual activity which is most likely connected to the security breach topside." Something beyond even the irontight control Jack was maintaining over his emotions made him add: "Our objective is capture. Use necessary force only in extremis."

Then his radio came to live with a squawk and Jack started organizing all his soldiers into a search pattern spreading out over the base ground in the darkness of night.

* * *

Daniel's thoughts were racing each other frantically inside his head while his feet were busy dodging roots and stones and keeping up with Jack. A line of soldiers had formed, joining the ones already engaged in looking for Buffy and Dawn in a search grid pattern. If anyone was surprised at the base commander roaming alongside the marines, nobody made a comment. All the better, since Jack was wearing a frightening scowl and kept muttering to himself. Daniel could well imagine what, but topmost in his mind right now was that the Slayer must have a reason to come here. And that reason couldn't include exposing military secrets or making a surprise visit to her boyfriend that would be too trivial. 

It all fitted into place, Daniel surmised if Dawn's knowledge of the Stargate had to do with some supernatural force interfering with the Gate and the Slayer being ordered by her Watcher to prevent that.

It still didn't explain why she had deemed it necessary to play with Jack's feelings that way, trying to get at the Gate.

And then suddenly there was no time to think anymore because they had found them and trouble too.

* * *

Jack took it all in: about twenty marines starting on his immediate right were positioned halfway around a clearing, a shimmering, blue wall of what very much looked like the surface of an active Stargate reaching straight up about 15 feet, lighting up the clearing as if it was day. 

A low level thrumming filled the air, it felt like standing next to a giant generator making the hairs on Jack's arms rise. Intermittently he could hear something like voices swelling up and down, never quite clear enough to understand the words. Behind the shimmering blue wall one could see indistinct darker shapes of about manheight. Sometimes something huge and circular would lighten up this inner circle and disappear again.

_Three guesses as to what that is._

Jack felt ill at ease and couldn't quite pinpoint why. It felt primal and he found himself checking the immediate surroundings almost obsessively.

Neither Buffy nor Dawn were in sight for which Jack was inappropiately grateful since it meant staying in hopeless denial about his ex-girlfriend staging a coup on a top secret military project for a little while longer. Inadvertently he tightened the hold on his P-90, suddenly realizing that in light of the situation, denial was pretty much a thing of the past. With practiced ease he shoved any deeper thoughts into the back of his mind and instead focused on threat assessing the situation before him, for the moment ignoring his unexplainable unease.

Jack pressed his radio and ordered two of the marines to carefully advance on the blue wall to scope it out. They crept forward, their weapons at the ready until they were directly in front of the phenomenon.

_Talk to me, give me something to work with._

The night seemed oppressive around them, maybe hiding all sorts of things. It seemed incongruous with the season. It should be cold and the air should feel crisp. It really didn't.

Jack crouched behind a tree, barely keeping himself from shifting on his feet every few seconds. Something was on the night wind that cut deeper than the winter chill.

Jack nearly jumped out of his skin when his radio crackled: "Sir, it seems to be some kind of energy barrier. Visibility is indistinct although there seem to be 10 people inside."

Jack grit his teeth at being so distracted and focused on his two marines again. He keyed his radio: "Proceed."

Jack could barely see what happened next, it was that fast, but one of the marines seemed to reach out to touch the barrier, which reacted instantly. A bolt of lighting lashed out, lifting both men clear of the ground, throwing them a good two metres with sparks flying. They didn't get up.

Jack gave the order to open fire.

* * *

One look at the set up in the clearing and Daniel had been sure that this was exactly what it looked like, some kind of ritual. 

Reasonably sure at least, considering all the available data of which, Daniel admitted it, there wasn't much. But there had been the Watcher's journal all those years ago and Daniel trusted books.

Despite being for all intents and purposes part of a military unit for the past seven years, Daniel would never get over his first instinct to just curl up with his hands over his ears when the noise of gunfire started.

This was the wrong approach, he was sure of it. Quite apart from the fact that firing at what Daniel figured was a shield, didn't seem to do anything at all.

He had to get Jack to listen to him, to trust his instincts. Admittedly not an easy feat right now with Jack hunched behind a tree, intermittedly squeezing off bullets at the blue wall.

He had to act right now, before their efforts clashed with whatever the Slayer and her Watcher planned on doing here.

"Jack!"

"Damnit, Daniel! Not now!"

"Jack, this is important." Daniel could scarcely believe himself but he laid a hand on Jack's shoulder in the middle of a fire fight. Admittedly the shield still didn't seem particularly fazed, since it remained stubbornly unaffected by the bullets, which seemed to just dissappear when they hit the barrier.

Jack shot an exasperated, shorttempered look at his team member at the interruption.

Daniel doggedly hung on: "Don't interfere with what is happening. This is over our heads."

Jack spun around so fast that Daniel was almost thankful for Jack's fist at his collar, yanking him close, keeping both of them balanced. Frustration made him snarl at Daniel: "What do you know? Make it quick, Daniel, or I will."

This wasn't a side of Jack Daniel had seen often. In fact he could remember seeing it only once, during that whole NID sting operation years ago.

"This isn't what it looks like. Well, in a way it is but…" Daniel knew he was screwing up what little credibility he had and simply blurted out: "This isn't our problem." Daniel managed to wave weakly at the clearing.

"Not our problem?" Jack spat out fiercely with neither patience nor understanding.

But suddenly the underbrush to their side rustled unnaturally and both their eyes snapped sideways.

Daniel barely managed to turn his head enough to see for himself.

Someone was breaking through the low branches sprinting towards the clearing, someone blonde.

Both men just looked on incredulously as Buffy took a running leap onto a boulder at the edge of the treeline.

With an oath Jack let Daniel go and slapped his radio: "Cease fire! Cease fire immediately!"

_tbc_


	13. All This And Madness Too

**All This And Madness Too**

Buffy had known going in that at some point she was bound to run into Jack.  
After leaving the leftover party in a headlong, panicked rush, she had driven in stony silence for the whole forty minutes it took to her apartment. For the first few minutes Dawn had tried to talk, reassuring her, that all would sort itself out, it wasn't that bad and so on but had eventually fallen silent when Buffy didn't answer.  
Buffy couldn't even explain herself to her sister. It would sound so utterly selfish and trite. She had just wanted her life to be normal for once.  
Selfpity wasn't pretty and it lead nowhere.

At her apartment she had just stormed right through to the bathroom, spending another twenty minutes crying under the shower, desperate to stifle her sobs. She had come out and explained to Dawn in false, dead calm that they had to leave Colorado Springs.  
Dawn had argued at first but Buffy had been adamant. They would leave now, stay out of sight for the time it took Dawn to complete the translation of Giles' texts about the Stargate and then find the old Watchers. They were going to stop whatever the creeps were planning with the Stargate before they came even near and then leave Colorado for good.  
All of Dawn's 'buts' and especially the 'but Jacks' had been stopped with an icy 'It's not worth the risk, Dawn. You know that.' and they had left Buffy's home of the last three months, the first home she had acknowledged to since Sunnydale, in an orderly if hasty fashion with Dawn quietly seething at Buffy's pigheadedness and Buffy desperately trying to feel nothing at all.

They had spent the following week holed up in a holiday cabin out of Manitou Springs. Buffy had been outside mostly, exercising or even meditating, just to escape Dawn's accusing stare which was beginning to feel more and more justified. She missed Jack terribly and trying to keep it all in check, for the first time wasn't as easy as it used to be.  
When the sisters weren't squabbling or ignoring each other Dawn had been busy translating.

Unknownst to Buffy Dawn had contacted Willow, explained some of the situation to her and asked for her help. She figured it was time her sister deserved a break. Even if that break happened despite Buffy's insistence on screwing it up.  
Willow had sent along detailed information on the Stargate program only a day later.  
When Dawn finally finished her translation, she sat in front of her laptop for a while trying to fit everything together.  
According to the tip from Vikram, the mole, the Chaapa'ai was an interdimensional portal, enabling one to speak to the gods. The old Watchers thought such a powerful magical artifact would give them an edge over the Slayer's council. Thanks to the texts, plus the info on the SGC secretly obtained from Willow, Dawn knew now that these gods were called Goa'uld and were definitely not someone you wanted to chat with.  
Dawn also knew now that the Stargate wasn't so much an interdimensional portal but rather a simple wormhole.

Thinking over her last thoughts she unwillingly had to grin. When wormholes leading to other planets where actually the less complicated alternative, you should check your priorities.

The Watchers were obviously unaware that the Stargate wasn't actually magical as much as extraterrestrial. They also didn't know the details about those supposed gods they wanted to talk to. Dawn herself had only been able to figure that out because of the additional info gained from checking up on the SGC.

Dawn closed her laptop with a decisive gesture. She wasn't going to let Buffy run the show on her own anymore, since it was clear that that would land her in kablooie territory. Factoring in the stoic moping going on, Dawn thought it was high time for Buffy to hear some hard truths.

She cornered Buffy one evening in the bathroom and with the Slayer having her mouth full of tooth paste she let loose:"I am sick and tired of your martyr's act."  
And before Buffy was able to answer she continued heatedly.  
"You always just assume the worst and never give anyone or anything any chances. If they can't hold up to your exacting standards, you just assume you have to make all the decisions yourself. All the while beating your breast about it."  
Buffy was preparing to deny it all, Dawn could see it in the set of her mouth and she felt an irrational urge to hurt her stubborn sister, to make her see: "You know what? You remind me of Angel that way!"

Buffy's eyes had flashed with hurt and anger and she had lashed out. "It's not as if I ever asked for any of this. But guess what, Dawn, it's what I have to do. And if I don't do it, people will die!"  
"But you don't have to do it alone! That's what friends are all about. We trust you, so let yourself trust us."  
And seeing that Buffy had her rote reply ready, that of course she was trusting her friends, Dawn rolled her eyes impatiently. "If you do, then let me tell you first thing that Willow and I checked up on Daniel and Jack and the SGC."  
That shook Buffy up, Dawn could see it in her face which showed a mixture of hurt, anger and betrayal. But Dawn forged on and said urgently: "They're the good guys. Yes they are are military and yes Daniel hid the fact that he knew about the Slayer. But shouldn't the fact that he has known and yet still left you and Jack in peace mean anything?"  
Dawn could see that her logic was getting through to Buffy. Well, Buffy hadn't stormed out yet at least. "Actually he probably has other things to worry about. The Stargate is actually a transportation device. They... Jack sends teams to other planets for knowledge and allies against the Goa'uld, nasty trying-to-rule-the-galaxy kind of bad guys. And those guys are plenty bad news, right on par with some of our baddies. Jack and his people are fighting a war out there. Just as we do here in a way."  
Buffy looked poleaxed and Dawn wasn't entirely sure which way it would all go. Buffy could still decide to ignore everything Dawn said and stick to running. Dawn felt as if hours passed as she searched her sister's face for her decision.

"So he really is looking for aliens?" Buffy's voice sounded unusually soft.  
Dawn grinned so hard she felt like her face should split.  
"Seems like it. Wanna hear more?"  
At Buffy's encouraging nod Dawn breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed her older sister wasn't too old to learn some new tricks after all.

* * *

Dawn had gone on and on in detail but everything had sort of blurred for Buffy, her thoughts loudly chasing each other inside her head.  
With sudden, crystal clarity it hit her hard: she had almost let what Jack and she had, slip through her fingers. All the happiness she had felt being with him, all the potential that for the first time since Sunnydale hadn't seemed for everyone else but for her too, all nearly gone because of her knee-jerk reaction.  
A reaction that hadn't done anything for her in the past but that she had seemed unable to change.  
She had avoided getting involved in building the Slayer's Council, had avoided responsibility for Dawn and hadn't let anyone get close, because she had been afraid to fail them, like she had failed Spike and Angel and Amanda and Anya and Jesse and too many others.  
It had been so easy to detach herself. It was safe.  
She was the Slayer, better not let people come too close because she might fail to protect them one day. All the nameless strangers she had saved from things that went bump in the night and she had been afraid that at some point when it really mattered it would be someone she knew, again. And when something threatening happened, her response had been the same as it had been for so long.  
_Make my decision alone and go with it. Because I never let myself learn otherwise._  
Never mind that Sunnydale was years in the past. In truth she had never really left it and the mindset it entailed, behind.  
As all this had flashed through her like a bolt of lighting, it threw her own nearly monumental mistake into sharp relief. She had looked at Dawn, not knowing what to do, but for the first time admitting that that was ok sometimes.

* * *

Just as the sisters were about to make serious plans, everything went the way of the dinosaurs when Willow alerted them to a major magical disturbance about to happen right where it was supposed to, just two days early.

Buffy and Dawn had broken every speed limit on the way from Manitou Springs to Cheyenne Mountain.  
"Should we ... umh, call ahead or something?" Dawn hesitatingly put forward about fives miles out.  
Buffy tried to imagine the ensuing phone conversation and unexpectedly had to grin at the thought.  
"Saying what exactly?"  
"Umh,... good point. I don't think we can get Riley to vouch for us on that short a notice." Now Dawn grinned a bit herself.  
"Oh, I can totally see him trying to explain to Jack that he should believe us. Riley, who probably has the same kind of lame cover story Jack has. They'd be talking in circles around each other for days."  
"So what's the plan then?"  
Buffy just looked at Dawn.  
"Alright then. Seat of the pants tactics. Works for me."

* * *

Buffy and Dawn had entered the base grounds relatively easy and proceeded to the top of the mountain where they had found a clearing just where Willow had predicted. Unfortunately the ritual had already started and Willow had impressed on them that once it had started, the only way to stop it properly was to wait for a very specific moment otherwise the Stargate might get lost in between dimensions. Or something.  
_Someone should have told these wannabe Watchers that holding a meeting of cultists anonymous over the heads of a top secret military base would be a bad thing. Very bad from the looks of it. Trust these guys to be both arrogant and incredibly stupid._  
Buffy and Dawn were currently perched in the branches of a tree at the edge of the clearing and what they were seeing made Buffy's stomach ache.  
Buffy eyed the advancing line of heavily armed soldiers with their probably minimalistic amount of humour or patience critically from her perch in the branches of her tree. Dawn sat next to her, both waiting for the right time to interupt the ritual taking place right in front of them.  
_Couldn't it for once have been a godly hour, like twelve noon in a parking lot or something?_  
Buffy could now see that proceeding with no plan whatsoever had been rash to put it in kiddie friendly terms. Their plan should have involved Giles and the Slayer's Council approaching their contacts in the US government with an urgent warning and the heads up on Buffy and Dawn. That would have left time to call Jack and explain everything with irrefutable evidence supporting her story.  
Since the old Watchers were apparently still working on Greenwich Mean Time, that had been blown out of the water, leaving Buffy and Dawn on the grounds of a top secret military facility, playing hide and seek with said military in an effort to save them from themselves. Also, Boyfriend Trouble in capital letters.

Buffy shifted her weight from her left to her right butt cheek in a futile attempt to alleviate the pain from the twigs that kept poking her and wasn't closer to finding a way out of this mess.  
_How am I supposed to get this done with soldiers getting underfoot?_

"Look, there he is." Dawn whispered, elbowing her cautiously.  
Buffy's heart was suddenly in her throat, as her eyes flew to where Dawn was pointing and her stomach bottomed out at about sea level.  
_Jack!_  
And embarrassingly enough the only thought running around in her brain was an utterly girly _wow, yummy!_ as she spotted Jack's lean form creeping through the underbrush, finally halting at the edge of the treeline with a clear view of the Watchers magic circle.  
_What am I going to do? Should I simply stroll up? 'Hi, fancy meeting you here.'  
Right, why not ask for being shot straight up. How about calling out to him? Same diff, better not._

She was brutally wrenched from her thoughts when two of Jack's soldiers ungracefully made like ragdolls when trying to touch the magical barrier and suddenly it was the Third World War down there.  
_As if that is going to do any good. Darn! Less with the looking more with the acting, before the unflappable British guys decide to be flapped and throw a magical whammy at my boyfriend._

She squashed any further thoughts and let the Slayer push to the foreground. Seat of the pants tactics she excelled at.  
Calculating the angle and distance, she dropped to the ground and took off in a dead run towards the clearing.

When Buffy had tried to imagine the exact circumstances of meeting Jack again, it certainly never involved a gun fight and showing off her inner Slayer with aerial acrobatics in the pursuit of stupid council holdovers. But now it did.

She used a boulder at the edge of the clearing to launch herself into a flawlessly executed salto, _Giles would be so proud!_, taking her clear over the top of the magical shield, into the midst of the Watchers little piece of pandemonium.  
Landing on her feet, a second later already saw one of the ten Watchers falling unconscious beneath her spinning kick.  
The rest were gathered in a circle off to her side. Their requisite black robes with the hoods pulled up were lazily moving in an unnatural, stifling breeze which was wholly inappropiate for the time of year.  
Buffy's entrance didn't seem to register. Buffy could see one or two Watchers swaying with the effort of working this complex bit of mojo, sweat running down their faces. Willow had explained that teleporting a large, heavy object like the Stargate would take all their concentration.

Then Buffy got her first glimpse of the Gate. For the space of two, three seconds the magic circle was crowded by the huge ring, which appeared in a bright flash, hung there and disappeared again.  
Buffy imagined one had to see it in action to be suitably impressed.

Suddenly her Slayer sense was going haywire, shrilling warnings along her nerve endings. She ducked lighting fast and turned around, ready for anything.  
One of the black robes was apparently quite the multitasker since he had crept up on her, despite supposedly being busy mojoing. She was just able to evade a ridiculously large, wicked looking dagger aimed at her kidneys. She used her momentum to block his advance and parry with a quick series of punches, aimed at incapacitating him. But after catching only a glancing blow Black Robes managed to divert her in a surprising show of competence, answering with a flurry of moves of his own. His flowing robes made it hard for Buffy to see if her opponent was telegraphing his moves and he kept her busy with a lighting fast series of kicks and jabs. He drove her back and she nearly collided with the magic shield, which was something she most definitely wanted to avoid, according to Willow and probably the two unconscious soldiers just outside. Ungracefully she squirmed away from both shield and the knife wielding robe guy. In those few seconds it took her to put some distance between them, she heard a snapping noise, behind her back. Twisting around she managed to think _Uh-oh, not good_ at the sight of a gun-like thing spitting blue lighting at her and then there was only darkness.

* * *

Dawn was perched in her branch and worried.  
Despite Buffy being inside the magical shield, supposedly kicking ass, the chanting hadn't stopped, hadn't even wavered much.  
Her sister was supposed to have it relatively easy. The Watchers should have been occupied with the ritual and she should have been able to just pick them off one by one.

Dawn was squinting, trying to make sense of the movements of the indistinct black blobs and single whitish blob which was Buffy, behind the shimmering veil of the shield. Suddenly there was a brief flash of blue lighting which didn't look like it belonged to the intermittent appearance of the Chaapa'ai. And the lone whitish blob went down and stayed down.

It didn't even take half a second for Dawn to get moving. She hurriedly shimmied down the tree and took off running towards the shield, already pulling out her pocket knife. "Jack! Get ready to move."  
Dawn hoped against hope that her plan would work, that Jack would play along instead of shooting her and that Buffy was alright.  
Man, what a royal, utterly uncoordinated 'Misthaufen' this turned out to be.

* * *

Jack clutched his P-90 reflexively and tried to make out what was happening behind that damn blue wall. Marines Jenkins and Houseman had been dragged to safety, making sure they were just unconscious.  
Frustration was roiling in Jack's gut. He hated not knowing what was happening, he hated not being able to do anything.  
_And let's think about the fact that my girlfriend seems to be Wonder Woman for a mo' here. She lept a height and distance that is humanly impossible!_

Jack rounded on the one person in his reach who seemed to know something he didn't: "Daniel, get talking. Or I swear I'll kick your ass so hard..." Jack let the statement be its own advertisement.  
Daniel was visibly searching for the right words and Jack could barely keep a reign on his impatience.  
"Buffy is what is called the Slayer. A mythical female warrior, appearing throughout history, chosen to kill vampires. Although obviously not so mythical, seeing as she is quite real, as we saw."  
Jack stared at Daniel, for the moment slackjawed with indecision whether he should ask about the vampires first or call for McKenzie right away.  
"Are you just very cracked? What the fuck are you talking about?"

Knowing Daniel for nine years enabled Jack to see that Daniel was clearly frustrated with his inability to make Jack understand, but Jack wasn't settling for anything less than total disclosure.  
"Vampires are real. Buffy is the last in a long line of female warriors called during their teens to fight them. She has the powers and abilities to do just that. She is fighting for all of us, they all have, it's the way they were meant to be." Aware that those last lines sounded incredibly cheesy, Daniel grabbed Jack's arm tightly, trying to express his sincerity and urgency. "Listen to me, Jack. It isn't any more cracked than us walking through a giant ring of naquadah to visit alien planets, if you think about it."  
That gave Jack pause when he had already been moving to turn away from Daniel disbelievingly. Daniel's explanation hadn't actually explained anything much but that was the norm for these kind of talks with Daniel. But all of it coupled with Buffy's surprise entrance as Wonder Woman sort of got the point across. Some kind of point at least.  
In the end it came down to this: Jack was willing to give this, whatever this was a shot, because he trusted Daniel. And he so much wanted to trust Buffy and his instincts about her as well.

Suddenly there was more rustling. Jack automatically aimed his P-90 at the sound. Seeing what or rather who it was, he bellowed to his soldiers: "Hold your fire!"  
And then Dawn herself hollered: "Jack! Get ready to move!"

She ran straight for the blue shield sliding to a stop inches before it and then without hesitation, sliced her palm open with a pocket knife and inexplicably slapped her flat palm against the barrier.  
Jack, reacting on instinct, wasn't even aware he had moved when he found himself already halfway across the distance to the shield, ready to do, he didn't know what but at the very least collect Dawn's unconscious body once the shield had thrown the whammy on her, when incredibly the blue wall parted beneath Dawn's palm, splitting like cloth along a seam.  
Not thinking, just acting, Jack threw himself into the breach underneath Dawn's hand. A familiar shrilling sound and an ozone heavy stench made him roll away from the opening fast. He could just see Dawn crumbling after being hit by a zat blast from within the circle.  
As soon as her hand didn't touch the blue shield anymore, the breach vanished as if it had never been there and Jack had been the only one through the gap.

He came to his feet snarling, already aiming his P-90 in the direction of the blast, squeezing off a short hail of bullets. Having dealt with the zat wielding guy terminally, Jack's eyes snapped to the right of the circle.  
Buffy was lying on her back, the bronze light of a Goa'uld ribbon device playing across her face. A black robed Goa'uld was half kneeling over her, totally absorbed in causing delicious pain, judging by his sick smile. He hadn't even noticed Jack yet.  
Suddenly bright light flooded the center of the circle and the Stargate appeared. And stayed, hanging about a foot above ground, seven black robed wackos surrounding it, chanting loudly.

Jack took aim and fired, catching the Goa'uld in the middle of the chest. The snakehead collapsed backwards, releasing Buffy from the ribbon device.  
For the first time the up and down of voices hesitated and finally faltered apparently in shocked silence, since all the oh so tacky cowls of the black robes were turned towards their fallen leader.  
Jack could see why. Snakehead was convulsing on the ground, curling around himself, gagging. This looked especially gruesome since his chest was riddled with bullet holes and he couldn't possibly still be alive under normal circumstances. Then his mouth opened impossibly wide and the actual snake made its disgusting appearance, oozing out of its dead host's mouth, leaving a slimy trail of blood and saliva behind.  
Scrambling forward Jack lunged at the weakened parasite and with his combat knife quickly cut it in half.

"My hero." Came the slightly tremulous but oh so welcome quip from behind him.  
Jack spun around and his eyes wandered up and down Buffy's body, checking for obvious damage.  
"I feel like I should charge a fee for this kind of checking out."  
Jack's eyes finally snapped up to meet Buffy's. Gradually his thoughts caught up with all the action. Up to this moment he hadn't given himself time to reflect on how he felt about the whole messed up situation. He should be angry, disappointed and suspicious. But looking into Buffy's eyes, with all the insecurity, doubts, hope and other stuff being displayed right there, he was just ridiculously glad.  
A few strides brought him to her side. He reached down and Buffy took his hand pulling herself to her feet with a heartfelt groan, her eyes never leaving his.  
Silence stretched uncomfortably. Buffy's expression began to waver and Jack could see that she didn't know what to make of the situation. Bummed if he knew.

Buffy finally pulled back her shoulders and said with a fake smile: "Ok, here we go." She held out her hand to him. "Hi, I'm Buffy Summers, the Slayer, a girl warrior with special powers fighting the things that go bump in the night. And I am afraid that now that you have seen who I am, you'll revert to type and sic the mad military scientists on me." She set her jaw defiantly and locked her eyes with Jack. "It has happened before, you know."  
A couple of seconds stretched to infinity it seemed, Buffy's hand still reaching out.  
"So," Jack drew out the word but took her hand finally, "not a gym attendant then."  
"Only sometimes, the hours of my secret double life suck." Buffy's eyes started sparkling when she said it.  
Jack still managed to keep a near perfect poker face but let a tiny spark of amusement shine through. "Don't they just."  
Buffy broke into a happy smile, which send a stab of ... something through Jack and he found himself grinning goofily back for a moment before he became dead serious again: "You didn't know."  
The not quite question was delivered coldly, with nearly no emphasis and his eyes bore into hers with even more intensity.  
Buffy knew instantly that he was referring to whether she had only gotten involved to play him and even though he hadn't actually asked she answered regardless: "No! Did you?"  
He shook his head slowly, never breaking their eye contact.  
For a moment time crawled to a stop as both took the measure of the other, gauging the limits of trust extended and accepted.  
"Cool." And since they were still clasping hands, he hauled her close and hugged her hard. "I'm so glad you're back." He growled into her hair.  
Buffy shivered as she felt his warm breath caressing her ear and burrowed deeper into his embrace.

Then the Stargate finally succumbed to the laws of gravity and fell down around them with a deafening boom.

* * *

_tbc_


	14. Two Most Dreadful Words: Let's Talk

Author's notes: It lives. 'nuff said.

_**Two Most Dreadful Words: Let's Talk **_

Buffy couldn't stop feeling claustrophobic and had to keep seeking out Jack over the briefing table. The heavy press of the mountain seemed palpable to her, the artificial lights were grating on her eyes and the air tasted lifeless. After asking incessantly she had been assured by everyone, but only Jack she had believed, that she and Dawn were free to leave anytime. At the same time it was heavily hinted, complete with appeals to her patriotism and sense of duty to her country, that a proper Q & A would be appreciated. Questions of course being asked by the military and answers provided by her.

Since then everyone had taken pains to get on her nerves. Buffy wouldn't be parted from Dawn, so the first stop after it had been established that they were indeed going inside the mountain, was the infirmary where a resolute doctor had taken care of Dawn, who was at least conscious by the time they had gotten there. Apparently being tasered or whatever by those blue lighting things, happened around here and wasn't considered too serious.

Buffy had flat out refused to be checked over by the doctor herself but was sure that Dawn had a few quarts of blood less now, all in the name of assuring national security of course.

Buffy and Dawn and Jack together with Daniel, Murray and someone named Harriman were just now grouped around a heavy wooden table, with Harriman taking notes of the proceedings. Sam was still off, making sure the Stargate was handled with proper care while being taken to its ususal position.

"So you say, that you didn't know about these guys planning to steal the Stargate." Jack's eyes were unreadable to her.

"No, I mean yes, I didn't know. All I knew was that someone was trying to do some kind of wacky ritual. Only at the last minute it became clear that that involved breaking into here."

"Why didn't you alert anyone to what was happening if you had the intel beforehand?"

"I told you, there wasn't enough time." Buffy was feeling washed out and weary to her bones. Jack's cautious attitude and the unnatural feel of the mountain were wearing her down.

"How did you know about the Stargate?" This was Daniel speaking up for the first time, his eyes intensely focused on her through his glasses.

"I didn't. I still don't." Buffy felt her weariness slowly shift to anger. Why was she required to answer all their questions when they wouldn't answer any? "Listen, I don't care what you think you have to know but let me tell you this:" and with this Buffy's eyes once more found Jack's across the table "when I first met you, I didn't know that you would be connected to this whole business. Then, I didn't even know that here would be any business."

Jack sat in his chair looking every inch the debriefing General, calm and collected. Tension seemed to hang thickly in the room. So many words that should be spoken weren't and many more that were shouldn't be that important.

The red phone ringing cut through the silence. Jack looked startled for a split second then picked up the handle: "Yeah, Mr President?"

"Yeah, right across from me actually."

There followed a lenghty pause of listening with Jack's expression becoming incredulous:"No way! I mean, are you serious, sir?"

Jack straightend up in response to the answer.

"Sure thing, sir."

"Not a problem, sir. Regards to the wife and kids, sir." But it was apparent that his partner at the other end had already hung up. Jack put the phone down with exaggerated care. That finished he leaned back and Buffy felt herself held in a scrutinizing gaze.

"You and your sister are free to leave at once. In fact, you are asked to. By the Man himself no less. Apparently your security clearance and mine clashes."

Buffy felt her anger fade to nothing and all was left was feeling dead tired and alone.

"Right." She got up, Dawn following her. Jack remained seated, only signaling a marine to accompany them. Buffy felt too stupid with weariness to do anything about the widening gap between them. Just before they left Jack's line of sight, she heard: "I'll see you later." It was a question and an absolute and nothing could have sounded more perfect to Buffy. She smiled and her heart felt a little lighter.

* * *

Dawn was quiet until they reached the outside. The marine Jack had dispatched to accompany them to their rental, politely took his leave and the two sister sat in the car for a moment. 

"So." Dawn stretched it out a bit as if questioning.

Buffy gripped the steering wheel hard but as always not hard enough to do any damage. Always in control the Slayer must be. Buffy at least ground her teeth so it hurt.

i Here comes the tell all. /i

Dawn pushed her hair behind her ear. "I'd kill for some tacos."

Buffy released all her pent up breath in a laugh that was half tearfilled, gratefully threw the car into gear and got out of Dodge.

* * *

Jack was halfway through a six pack when the phone rang. For a minute he wanted to let the machine pick it up but then decided against it. 

"Yep. I'm here."

"Is this General O'Neill speaking?" A pleasant voice with a cultured British accent was speaking.

"Yeah. Who's asking?" His voice sounded curt even to his ears.

"My name is Rupert Giles. I am an associate of Buffy's."

Jack sat down again heavily. He had wanted to anyway, really but hearing her name did something to his knees.

"Where is she?" Jack shut his mouth hastily after that entirely unplanned question just popped out when he had wanted to appear cool as a cucumber. After the aborted debriefing he hadn't been able to locate her or Dawn anywhere. Her appartement was as empty as before and his calls to her cell ended on her voice mail.

"That is not why I called." Giles sounded entirely too cool and unruffled to Jack. "I called you to tell you that apart from carrying a destiny older than man itself Buffy is also a young woman whom I hold as dear as a daughter. I have stopped to presume to advise her on her life, most days. But consider this: I have been there when before she has cared as deeply for someone as she seems to for you now. Do not betray her trust. And let me tell you she didn't betray yours. She is not capable of that."

Jack felt his hackles rising, who was this guy to butt in like this and tell him what to think. The evidence was there after all. "Mr Giles, I don't know you. Why should I believe you when I have a hard time to believe the woman I was falling for?"

"That seems to indicate a lack of trust in your own ability to judge people, General, rather than other people's trustworthiness." The silkenly delivered answer found its mark accurately. Jack was still digesting when Giles advised: "When you see Buffy again, ask her about Riley Finn and be prepared to listen. Good day."

And then Jack was listening to the dial tone.

_ Smart ass. How will I see Buffy again when I don't know where to find her_

* * *

_ tbc _


	15. Shared Madness

_**Shared Madness**_

_Author's notes:_ This has taken an inexcusably long time to put out here. There is no adequate reason for that. Hope all of you still reading enjoy this last installment.

* * *

Thursday after the events at the Mountain the NID preliminary surveillance report for General Jack O'Neill read as follows:

* * *

At 1643 the subject exited the Safeway supermarket through the main doors. He met with Elisabeth Summers (see classified files 34-O-7/sec.B14 for profile and 34-S-18/sec. 256 for complementary surveillance reports). Subjectively the meeting appeared coincidental. After exchanging words which due to Summers as of yet unspecified jamming equipment could not be made out the two subjects left together in Summers car at 1651. 

The surveillance detail following them, lost Summer's car at 1712. Agents Johannsen and Harvey both independently attested to having been driven off the road by a rock slide that allegedly went down between Summer's car and their vehicle. No physical evidence of said rock slide could be found at the site. For preliminary Psych evaluation of Johannsen and Harvey please refer to report 1-OS-2.

Forensics is still out whether the surveillance car has been tampered with.

Further investigation has been referred to Special Projects.

On a personal note, let me add that my recommendation to "let sleeping dogs lie", still stands.

Signed Th. Tappehorn, SAC

* * *

Thursday after the events at the Mountain Buffy ran into Jack completely by design just as he was leaving the supermarket. 

Buffy had spent the last couple of days, unbelievable though it was, thinking. Dawn had been with her at first but in the end it had come down to a leap of faith. A leap which Buffy alone had to decide to either take or walk away from.

It wasn't even about the whole keeping-secret-identities-from-each-other deal, well mostly not anyway. When it came right down to it, she didn't believe that Jack actually had an agenda when the two of them met. Apart from their meeting being too coincidental, with the mugging and him having been a member of the gym before Buffy ever chose to start working there at all, her gut feeling, honed through trial and error told her to trust Jack.

_So I trust Jack and also trust him to keep the General in check , that's a fact I believe in. But do I dare to show it? Let myself get attached?_

Standing in front of Jack, seeing the emotions play over his tanned, lined face, astonishment, disbelief and finally a simple wry grin, the only thing left in her head was: _how could I not? _

For a moment neither of them spoke. Shoppers were swirling around them, some grumbling at the two inconsiderates blocking the front entrance of Safeway.

She was unsure whether Jack was really, really on the same page as she was. That moment on the mountain, during the crisis of the wacky watchers and their grab for the Stargate, it had been easy to simply follow their established patterns. Afterwards came the second thoughts, for both of them. Buffy kept looking for a sign, any kind of sign that the relationship that she and Jack had started to build was still there, even if in ruins. Because at least ruins meant that there was something she could try mending.

Buffy finally broke the silence that had rapidly moved from oppressing to downright choking by a simple: "Jack?"

Jack's grin widened, reaching his eyes and Buffy's heart felt inordinatly lighter: "I've been trying to find you. But you're damn hard to peg down."

Buffy heard what he meant to say and tried to answer in kind: "All part of the whole Slayer package. Sometimes it's easier to rely on what I know."

"I get that."

"I guess you do." Buffy felt silence again descending but this time their eyes met and held. His look saying most of what neither could say aloud.

_But some things ha__ve to be said. I have to say them, otherwise I'll never truly leave Sunnydale. Time for that leap of faith._

But apparently Jack was way ahead of her, saying: "Let's blow this joint for a Taco stand?"

* * *

Jack was late for the Monday morning briefing and Daniel was torn between worrying and taking notes for his own inevitable lateness in the future. Across from him Teal'c was either daydreaming with his eyes open (highly unlikely) or trying to hypnotize the thermos (equally unlikely but at least an entertaining thought). Sam was alternately scribbling on her note pad and consulting with her papers. The clock on the wall showed ten minutes past the scheduled start of the briefing. 

At twenty three past eight just as Daniel had finally decided that Teal'c had actually fallen asleep with his eyes open, Jack breezed in, smiling apologetically, papers under his arm.

"Good morning, kids. Sorry to be late. Traffic was hell on the I-70." Considering that Daniel had last seen Jack after the debriefing interruptus with Buffy after which Jack had adamantely refused to talk, insisting everything was peachy, smiling was definitely not how Daniel had pictured Jack. As he was about to open his mouth to ask, Jack beat him to it.

"So, MX37-302. Quite the treasure trove according to Daniel. So you think this Hutzel-whatsit might be worth checking out?"

"Huitzilopochtli, Jack and yes, very much. According to the intelligence the Jaffa provided," Daniel send a glance Teal'c's way which he gracefully acknowledged, "Huitzilopochtli was sort of a blackmarketeer among the Goa'uld. He hasn't been seen or heard of since SG-3 blew up that stronghold on P4Y-296."

"Tragic." Jack's dry comment only threw Daniel off for a short moment.

"Quite. MX37-302 was one of the places where Huitzilopochtli had one of his 'warehouses'." Daniel made little air quotes to illustrate his point. "In the recent upheavals among the Goa'uld there's a good chance there might still be something left for us to... loot." Daniel was sure he should be blushing.

"Secure, you mean." Jack's face was making wink-wink nudge-nudge contortions.

"A rose by any other name, Jack."

Before Jack could answer with a more or less witty comeback, Sam chimed in: "It's definitely worth checking out, sir. Preliminary UAV readings indicate some sort of energy signature about one klick north of the Gate."

"Okay, okay. Send in a MALP and if all checks out you have a go for tomorrow 0800. Now, scoot." Jack shuffled his papers together and rose, but before he got more than one step from his chair, Teal'c's voice stopped him: "O'Neill, is it not customary for friends and aquaintances to offer felicitations upon recent nuptials?"

For a moment nobody moved or even blinked. Then Sam sat down again hard looking trout slapped, Daniel himself didn't feel any better. Jack's jaw muscles moved, his hands holding the papers even tighter. His hands, specifically his left hand, with the unassuming golden wedding band gleaming fresh and new in the neon lights of the briefing room.

"I guess it is." Jack said slowly and for a moment Jack actually looked unsure but Daniel saw a smile lurking underneath. He mentally prodded himself into action. Jumping out of his chair he hauled Jack into a hug, something he never felt natural with but which he figured would be appropiate here.

"I wish you all the best, Jack. You and Buffy." For a hilarious moment he considered adding 'it is Buffy, right?'. As Jack hugged him back, thanking him, he was just glad that he heard something in Jack's tone which he hadn't heard in, well, ever: genuine happiness.

And in the end that was what it was all about, wasn't it?

_finis_


End file.
